A guide to soil improvement/amendment leading to healthier soil and healthier plants
What is a soil improver/conditioner?
A soil improver is an organic material substrate that improves the condition, fertility and structure of the soil. There are many forms of soil improver suitable for various applications.
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How does it work?
It provides ideal conditions for the soil system to flourish leading to healthier soil by improving the symbiotic relationships between root systems, mycorrhizal fungi, nematodes, worms, reducing disease and root rot.
Its benefits
- Facilitates easier absorption of macro/micro nutrients
- If it contains biochar/perlite/vermiculite or small hard stones it can help aerate the soil
- If it contains biochar it can help retain water
Soil improvers come in many forms. We advocate using peat-free products. Peatlands are an important carbon sink and we should stop plundering them. We have listed organic and inorganic soil improvement ingredients, so you can make your own soil conditioner recipe.
Organic
Inorganic
What is inoculation, charging and activating?
Inoculation refers to the addition of microbes to the biochar, whereas charging refers to the addition of nutrients. Activating biochar is the collective term when you both inoculate and charge the material. Both of these can be done by mixing biochar with a compost. Beneficial microbes can be harvested from an aerobic compost tea and nutrients can be added via animal manure, organic matter and inorganic fertilisers.
There are lots of inoculation and charging recipes on the web. It is likely that specific ‘brews’ will work in different situations and as there are lots of variables, we will be testing our own formulations in due course.
Biochar can be inoculated with any of the organic/inorganic ingredients above to help boost the effect within the soil.
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Biochar can be added directly to your home compost, as an activator and given enough time the combined material can be added to the soil for amendment.
Note: Using raw biochar as a soil amendment
If you spread raw biochar into any soil, initially it will act like a sponge, absorbing water and attracting nutrients/minerals from the soil around it and making them less available to the surrounding plants. This can have a detrimental effect on plant health and crop yield, as they will struggle to grow and can eventually die or provide a poor harvest. However, in some cases, you may want to reduce the quality of the soil for plants and crops that prefer poor soil conditions.
How and where can biochar be applied as a soil conditioner?
The differences between soil improver, fertiliser and compost
Soil improver vs fertiliser
A soil improver can add macro and micronutrients via organic matter, as well as change it’s density, improving water retention and introducing air. It can be used to change the pH of the soil too. Inorganic fertilisers usually only provide the macronutrients Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and sometimes Magnesium (Mg) needed to healthy plant growth.
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Soil improver vs compost
Compost is a type of soil improver and will release macro and micronutrients over time. Other soil improver ingredients can be added to the compost to supercharge it.
The addition of biochar improves clay and silty soil, by holding onto nutrients drainage and aerating the soil. For sandy and chalky soil, biochar will hold onto water and nutrients, which will often wash out.
The steps to the right will help improve all these soil types, but be prepared that it will take a few seasons to see the best results.
Note: Don’t walk on newly conditioned soil as this will compact it and undo much of your hard work.
Steps to better soil
1/ Aerate and turn over the soil, just like an existing lawn (see above)
2/ Introduce lots of organic matter with biochar into the turned over soil or the holes created from spiking. It can be beneficial to add a small amount of local woodland soil to introduce local soil microbes.
3/ Plant a cover crop in the first season to help incorporate the organic material you have introduced deeper into the root zone. These can then be chopped back before planting.
4/ Mulch around your new plants to add more structure.
5/ Repeat this process in your second season.
