Whether you’re starting a garden or growing plants indoors, you need soil that’s healthy and well-balanced. It’s the foundation of your plants’ growth and helps make nutrients bioavailable to their roots. However, your soil can become too compacted over time, limiting water and air flow. This can lead to disease and stunted plant growth. Soil conditioners help improve your soil’s structure, enabling your plants to get the nutrients they need for strong, healthy development.
Soil is made up of 50% organic or inorganic material, 25% air space, and 25% water space. Good soil has the proper balance of these elements and includes a number of beneficial microorganisms. Hard, compacted soils, on the other hand, lack this balance and cannot support the healthy bacteria that help plants grow.
When you’re adding soil amendments to your garden, you should use them in moderation and always test your soil first. If you add too much of any amendment without knowing the state of your soil, it may have a negative impact on your plants’ health and performance.
There are many different types of soil conditioners and they can be either synthetic, natural, organic or inorganic. Synthetic soil amendments are usually made with materials like gypsum, pulverized limestone and slate. They’re often used to fix specific problems with your soil, such as sand or clay, and increase its cation exchange capacity (CEC).
Inorganic soil conditioners are typically made of materials that were never alive, such as gypsum and pulverized limestone. They’re usually used to increase the pH level and cation exchange capacity of your soil, but can also be used to improve water retention or boost calcium levels in the soil.
The best kind of soil conditioner is one that is organic and can improve your soil’s structure. It also contains beneficial bacteria that are only found naturally in nature and can help improve your soil’s moisture retention, drainage, and root development.
For example, compost is the best all-around soil conditioner that can solve many issues with your soil. It can improve the structure of your soil, as it helps break up clay and sand, making it more spongey and porous. It can also increase the cation exchange capacity of your soil, which increases the amount of nutrients your plants can access from the soil.
Compost can be easily created on your own at home with the Bokashi method, a process that turns waste into compost. You can even buy pre-made compost from your local garden center.
Soil is the most important part of your plants’ growth and survival, but it can be difficult to maintain a healthy environment. You can start by testing your soil to determine what kind of amendment you need and then applying it in moderation and following the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Soil conditioners can be made from a wide range of materials, including cow manure, peat moss, and microbial liquids. It’s a good idea to work the conditioner into your soil before planting in order to get the most out of its benefits.