Sandy soil creates a different problem; it's like a long
stretch of good road with nowhere to get food and water.
Nutrients and moisture simply percolate down out of reach.
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VACUUM AND NITROGEN PACKING
August/September 1999
Issue # 175 - August/September 1999
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So we want it all — good drainage, good water
retention (even though the two sound almost contradictory),
and openness for the incorporation of air. Again,
humus is the cure-all. It opens up packed soils and binds
together loose ones. Acting somewhat like a sponge, humus
helps hold moisture, food, and air so plants can have
access to them at will.
Nutrient retention . Chemical fertilizers provide
quick-fix doses of three major nutrients: nitrogen (N),
phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Since such garden
additives are highly water-soluble, plants can take them up
quickly, but they can also be easily washed away by rain or
irrigation. In fact, it's estimated that from 25% to 85% of
the chemical nitrogen applied to soil and 15% to 20% of the
phosphorus and potassium are lost to leaching.
Humus holds those water-soluble nutrients inside itself,
keeping them safe from runoff and releasing them slowly to
plants. (Even better, the soil microorganisms in humus
release nutrients more slowly during cool weather —
when crops are growing more slowly — and most quickly
during warm weather, when plants are growing most
actively.)
Free choice feeding . The way in which roots and
humus directly interact is probably the most fascinating
argument that I know of for the use of compost. It's a
miraculous process whereby plants choose their own diet.
You may have seen the words cations exchange on a soil
test. Cations are positively charged molecules of different
minerals like ammonium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and
calcium. Since opposites attract, the negatively charged
molecules of humus (and, to a lesser extent, clay as well)
attract and hold the positive canons.
When a searching root comes along, surrounded by an aura of
positive hydrogen ions, it strikes up a friendly exchange
with the humus (or clay) molecules: The root trades its
hydrogen ions for the nutrient ions of its choice. Thus
humus allows plants to choose what nutrients they need.
And more . Compost also helps control nematodes
and soil diseases . . . attracts soil-building earthworms .
. . helps plants produce their own growth stimulators . . .
helps fix heavy metals and other toxins in the soil
(instead of letting them be absorbed by the crops) . . .
adds trace minerals to the soil . . . and makes plants
hardier and more resistant to insects and diseases. It can
even be used as a healing poultice on tree wounds!
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