Some people with green thumbs are really just blessed with great soil. Of course, it’s hard, if not impossible, to create a healthy garden on poor soil. That’s why before planning your lawn or garden, it’s imperative to know the soil conditions on your property. The soil conditions determine water retention, nutrient release, and the best form of tillage. Poor soils suffer from compaction, lack of nutrients, very high or low pH, and numerous other afflictions.
A soil test, available from your local garden center or your county agricultural extension agent, lets you know the exact soil condition you’re facing.
No matter the type of soil condition, premium biochar soil conditioner enhances the garden. Biochar can make planting possible in less-than-stellar soil conditions. Create a healthy lawn or garden or improve trees with biochar while doing less work!
Biochar Benefits
Just what is biochar? It’s a soil amendment derived from heating biomass without oxygen access in a process known as pyrolysis. Thousands of years ago, Amazon basin natives used biochar to turn very poor quality soils into terra preta, the fertile black soil producing an amazing effect on crops.
Rich in carbon, biochar can:
- Increase soil pH
- Provide more soil nutrients
- Stimulate plant growth
- Increase yield
- Reduce heavy metals in soil
- Boost beneficial microbial activity
Soil conditions treated by biochar include those impacted by mining, stripping, and other degradation. Via its ability to capture and store carbon, biochar is an effective tool for climate change mitigation. Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas most responsible for climate change.
Here is how biochar works in different kinds of soil conditions:
Chalky Soils
Soils containing large amounts of calcium carbonate are very alkaline but tend to drain well. Perhaps too well, as they dry out quickly. Chalky soils contain lots of stones and virtually never flood.
For these chalky soil conditions, adding biochar can mean the difference between sticking only with alkaline tolerant plants or expanding your planting choices. Biochar helps chalky soils retain nutrients while improving aeration.
Clay Soils
Dealing with clay soil conditions is challenging. Tightly packed clay soil particles provide little room for aeration. There’s little space for roots, which need room to thrive. How to condition clay soils? The answer is applying biochar.
Characteristics of clay soils include:
- Stickiness
- Ability to hold more water
- Poor drainage
- Extreme density
Biochar in clay soils lessens density and allows them to drain more quickly. It improves aeration and leads to greater productivity in clay soils.
Loamy Soils
Luck is on your side if your garden boasts loamy soils. This type of soil is considered “the gardener’s best friend.” Loamy soils consist of three distinct soil types, ideally in equal parts:
- Clay
- Sand
- Silt
Loam is prime agricultural soil. Calcium and pH levels are high. Plants receive sufficient amounts of nutrients and water to flourish. While loamy soil conditions may not need soil amendments as much as lesser quality soils, adding biochar can make loamy soil even more fertile. Your plants should grow taller and produce more vegetables, fruits, or flowers.
Peaty Soils
Peaty soils consist of decayed organic or vegetative matter. Found most often in bogs, acidic peaty soils tend to have low nutrient availability.
Peaty soil conditions benefit from biochar as this soil amendment increases pH and augments beneficial soil microorganisms. Biochar has been shown to increase the growth and yield of crops on peatlands.
Sandy Soils
Growing plants in sandy soils is often a daunting task. Sandy soils consist of larger particles than other soil types. It has few nutrients and little ability to hold water. That makes it difficult for root systems to absorb water.
Adding biochar to sandy soil conditions increases water-holding capacity while reducing the nutrient leach rate.
Silty Soils
Silt consists of mineral and rock particles. Silty soil particles are smaller than sand but larger than clay. Over time, water and ice erode rocks, creating silty soils. Find silty soils near bodies of fresh water.
Silty soil conditions are good for growing crops, as the soil type retains water and provides good airflow. Adding biochar increases nutrient absorption and expands crop yields.
The Best Gardens Use Wakefield BioChar
Regardless of your soil condition, we’ve got your soil solution. Our products are natural, certified organic, and will improve the health of any soil type. You can find us at local lawn and garden centers around the country.