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2. Characteristics of soil conditioners PreviousEndNext Manure shouldn't be too fresh. Peat moss should be wet, its mix well with the soil by improving physical, chemical and biological environment of the soils. Compost manure from horses, cows and sheep. It should be at least six months old.

3. Functions of soil conditioners PreviousEndNext They help to improve the amount of minerals in the soil. Soil that is rich in minerals will produce much healthier vegetation. Leaves work by attracting earthworms which create a healthy soil. Soil improved by Physical Chemical Biological

4. Characteristic: Characteristic: PreviousEndNext Manure shouldn't be too fresh. Compost manure from horses, cows and sheep. Peat moss should be wet, its mix well with the soil by improving physical, chemical and biological environment of the soils. It should be at least six months old.

5. Importance of soil conditioners PreviousEndNext Soil conditioner is a product which is added to soil to improve the soil quality. Soil conditioners can be used to rebuild soils which have been damaged by improper management, to make poor soils more usable, and to maintain soils in peak condition. A wide variety of products can be used to manage soil quality, with most being readily available from nurseries and garden supply stores. People can also generate their own soil conditioner with materials from home. Cont.

6. PreviousEndNext Many soil conditioners are designed to improve soil structure in some way. Soils tend to become compacted over time, which is bad for plants, and soil conditioners can add more loft and texture to keep the soil loose. They also add nutrients, enriching the soil and allowing plants to grow bigger and stronger. Soil conditioners improve the water retention in dry, coarse soils which are not holding water well, and they can be added to adjust the PH of the soil to meet the needs of specific plants or to make highly acidic or alkaline soils more usable.

7. Soil physical conditions and soil conditioners PreviousEndNext Soil physical condition is one factor that can limit crop productio Poor soil physical condition can restrict water intake into the soil and subsequent movement, plant root development, and aeration of the soil. These goals can be accomplished in part through the use of good management techniques Producers and researchers alike are interested in improving the physical condition of the soil and, thus, enhance crop production.

8. Vital role of soil conditioners Improved soil structure and aeration Increased water-holding capacity. Increased availability of water to plants. Reduced compaction and hardpan conditions. Improved tile drainage effectiveness Alkali soil reclamation Release of “locked” nutrients Better chemical incorporation Better root development Higher yields and quality PreviousEndNext

9. Role of Soil Conditioner Soil conditioners may be used to improve water retention in dry, coarse soils which are not holding water well, and they can be added to adjust the pH of the soil to meet the needs of specific plants or to make highly acidic or alkaline soils more usable. Examples of soil conditioners Peat Compost Coir Manure Straw Vermiculite etc., PreviousEndNext

10. Compost Composting is comes naturally to plant materials. They return to the earth to supply nutrients for the next cycle of seeds. kitchen scraps can be recycled and yard waste composting them. Instead of throwing out produce scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds, can be compost of along with the leaves raked up and the dead plants cleared out of the garden. PreviousEndNext

11. Importance of composting PreviousEndNext Improve the soil quality to reap their benefits and vitality by releasing the rich nutrients in the compost into the soil Prevent greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the aerobic breakdown of organic material and reduces the amount of garden and kitchen waste going to Landfill. Recycle valuable nutrients and reduce the use of artificial fertilizers Cont.

12. PreviousEndNext Vegetable and food scraps Fallen leaves (in layers) Tea leaves and tea bags Coffee grounds Vacuum cleaner dust Soft stems Dead flowers Old potting mix Used vegetable cooking oil Egg shells Old newspapers (wet) Grass cuttings in layers Weeds Sawdust (not from teated timber) Wood ash Adding raw material to compost

13. Compost that are stable in nature, possessing significant amounts of humic acids, have the ability to bind nutrients and heavy metals, as moisture passes through the product layer. Organisms found within compost have the ability to degrade organic contaminants such as hydrocarbons found in petroleum based materials. Green manure: The practice of ploughing or turning into soil under-composed green plant tissue for the purpose of improving physical condition as well as fertility of the soil is referred to as green manuring and the manure obtained is known as green manure. PreviousEndNext Benefits Of Composting

14. The green manure crop should possess the following desirable characteristics : have profuse leaves and rapid growth early in its life cycle. have abundance and succulent tops be capable of making a good stand on poor and exhausted soils. have a deep root system. be legume with good nodular growth habit PreviousEndNext

15. Benefits of Green manuring Supply of Organic Matter Green manure supplies organic matter to the soil. The organic residues from green manure also help to provide the stability of soil structure needed for optimum plant growth. Humus formed from green manure increases the absorptive capacity of soil, promotes aeration, drainage and granulation, which help the plant growth. Green manuring improves the structure of the soil. Organic matter stimulates the activity of soil micro-organisms. PreviousEndNext

16. The green manuring crop supplies additional nitrogen to organic matter, if it is a legume crop, which has the ability to fix nitrogen from the air with the help of its root nodule bacteria (e.g. Rhizobium). The legume crop adds nitrogen for the succeeding crop. So all the legumes crop leave the soil in better physical condition and richer in nitrogen content. They return the plant nutrients of deeper layers to the upper top soil PreviousEndNext Addition of Nitrogen:

17. PreviousEndNext (iii) Nutrient and Soil Conservation Green manuring crops act as cover crop. They protect the soil from erosion and nutrient loss by taking up soluble nutrients which might otherwise have been lost in drainage water or due to erosion. Green manuring crops make available phosphorous and other nutrients for the succeeding crops. Green manure has a marked residual effect also.

18. PreviousEndNext Green manuring increases crop yield: Green manure increases the organic matter and nitrogen content (in case of leguminous green manuring crop) of the soil. It is proved that if green manuring is done properly, it always results in increased yields of the succeeding crops.

19. Crop Residues PreviousEndNext Composting leaves for your garden is a great way to use them, much better than sending them to the landfill to take up space. Leaves make dark, rich compost that add nutrients to your soil and help keep your plants strong and disease free. Fall cleanup is a great time to start a compost pile and put those leaves to work Composting leaves can be as simple as piling them up in an unused corner of the yard and letting them rot or as complex as building a tumbler and spinning them every day. Both work. Compost is going to happen with or without your help.

20. Home compost PreviousEndNext Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic material such as leaves, twigs, grass clippings, and vegetable food waste. Compost is the soil amendment product that results from proper composting composting helps to keep the high volume of organic material out of landfills and turns it into a useful product

21. Application General application rates for compost or other organic soil amendments are based on the salt content of the materials and soil and on the depth to which it is cultivated into the soil. Ideally, cultivate the soil amendment into the top six to eight inches of the soil.. On compacted/clayey soils, anything less can lead to a shallow rooting system with reduced plant growth, lower vigor, and lower stress tolerance. Compost, which includes manure or biosolids as a component, has a potential for high salts Excessive salt levels are common in many commercially available products sold in Colorado. PreviousEndNext

22. Compost needs to be thoroughly mixed into the upper six to eight inches of the soil profile. Do not leave compost in chunks, as this will interfere with root growth and soil water movement. As the soil organic content builds in a garden soil, the application rate should be reduced to prevent ground water contamination issues. A soil test is suggested every four to six years to establish a base line on soil organic matter content If using a green manure cover crop, till the cover crop in before it reaches four inches in height. In the vegetable garden do not plow in woody materials such as bark or woodchips. They may interfere with seedbed preparation and may result in soil nitrogen depletion. PreviousEndNext

23. PreviousEndNext To sum up: Soil conditioners are amending materials that claim to improve the soil physical condition. Soil conditioners are improve the minerals in the soil, water retention capacity of the soil and also improve physical, chemical and biological environment of the soil. Some of the soil conditioners viz., compost, green manure, crop residues like leaves, home compost etc.