3 10 Soil Amendments

1. Growing Environment
Plant: Saucer Magnolia
Term: Soil Amendments

2. Saucer Magnolia
Magnolia x loebneri
•Plant type: Tree, deciduous
•USDA Hardiness Zones: 4b to 8a
•Height: 25-30’,
•Exposure: full sun
•Bloom Color: White, pink
•Bloom Time: spring
•Landscape Uses: Espalier, Specimen
•Special Features: Fragrant flowers,
•Blooms are very showy

3. Soil Amendment
•A material that you add to the soil to
improve its chemical or physical
properties.

4. Compost
•A mixture of decaying organic matter, as
from leaves and manure, used to improve
soil structure and provide nutrients

5. Soil Fertility
•Measure of the nutrients in a soil available for
plant life;
•Macronutrients: N-P-K
–Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium
•Secondary:
–Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur
•Micronutrients:
–BORON (B) -IRON (Fe)
–CHLORINE (Cl) -MANGANESE (Mn)
–COPPER (Cu) -MOLYBDENUM (Mo)
–ZINC (Zn)

6. Fertilizers: N-P-K
•N is for % Nitrogen
•P is for % Phosphorus
•K is for % Potassium
•If a fertilizer is 10 – 10 – 10. It is a
Balanced fertilizer for general purpose
use. It has 10% each of the
macronutrients and 70% filler to make
application easier
•Lawn fertilizer would have a balance like
16 - 4 - 4.
Write this down

7. Soil testing
•Test kit for NPK
•Send off samples to extension service for
micronutrients
•New testing for biological activity
•Applying fertilizer with out a soil test is a
potential waste of money and harmful to
the environment

8. Nitrogen
•Start-up fertilizer
•Green growth
•Need most for grasses
•Don’t add to fruiting plants except at initial
planting
–Get green growth & no flowers & fruit
•Nitrogen deficiency – yellow color

9. Soil Amendments
Nitrogen
•Nitrate of Soda: Inorganic, Soluble &
quickly available. Lowers acidity. 16% N
•Ammonium nitrate: Inorganic, Not as
soluble. 33%N
•Ammonium sulfate: Inorganic, Lower
solublilty. Makes soil acidic. 21% N
•Urea formaldehyde: Organic, available
more slowly, 38%N

10. Leaching
•The more soluble a fertilizer is
–The quicker it is available to plants
–The faster it washes (leaches out of the soil)
•Insoluble fertilizers
–Also called slow release fertilizer – releases
throughout the growing season.
–Some fertilizers are coated to slow their
release

11. Phosphorus amendments
•Superphosphate: 20% P
•Treble superphosphate: 46% P
•Rock phosphate: 25 – 35% P
•Ammonium phosphate: 48% P
•Held tightly by soil so does not leach
•Excess application does the most damage
to lakes & streams

12. Potassium Amendments
•Muriate of potash: 60% K
•Sulfate of potash: 49% K
•Nitrate of potash: 44% K

13. pH
•Lime is added to increase the pH.
•Sulfur or iron sulfate or Mg Sulfate is added to
decrease the pH for acid loving plants.
•Acid favoring plants;
–Hollies, Camellias, Azaleas, Rhododendrons,
–Hydrangeas – blooms change color based on pH.
–Vegetables: egg plant, potatoes, & watermelon
•Lime also supplements calcium (minor nutrient).
Piedmont Virginia soils are frequently calcium
deficient

14. Organic Amendments
•Compost – adds tilthe ?-?-?, relatively low
•Cottonseed meal: 7-3-2
•Fish emulsion: 5-1-1
•Bonemeal: 4-12-0
•Bloodmeal: 11-0-0
•Manure: 1-1-1
•Sewage sludge: 2-1-1*
–*May not be eligible for organic certification

15. Fertilizer Calculation
Lbs of fertilizer
To make 1 gallon =
Of stock solution
Desired conc. X Dilution
in PPM factor
% N in Fert. X 1200
•Get the dilution factor from the injector
•The desired concentration will be different for
different plants
•The % N will be on the fertilizer bag
•Multiply the answer by the number of gallons
that the stock tank holds

16. Soil Texture Test
•Gather samples •Sample should be just
soil – no plants

17. Today
•Soil Texture
•Soil fertility
•Plugs?