"turf doc" wrote in message
...

Soil amendments which ones?

Well I for one am fed up of not knowing which ones are any good, do we
go with peat? Mushroom? Seaweed? Or are there any other fantastic ideas
out there? Which ones are best with sand and which ones are best for
clays soils? Let's get the ball rolling on this topic because it's a
bit of a grey area that no one seems to talk about.

turf doc

I have used mushroom compost as a soil conditioner in waxy soils which do
not drain mainly as a source of organic matter to make it more pliable. It
also adds some trace elements to the soil. You can put it on turf but best
done dry, not when the compost is damp. It also adds some trace elements
into the soil and provides some nitrogen. Mushroom compost, if made right,
is also a good ph level which will sweet acidic soils so it has several
uses. What it will not do is add microbal activity into the soil as the
compost has been steam steralised. For microbes living compost or some form
of animal shit is ideal.

Seaweed is supposedly an ideal soil conditioner as it contains a balance of
all the nutrients your soil needs. I chuck that stuff on my compost when I
can get it or add it to my liquid compost. I don't know how seaweed would go
as an additive straight onto soil as it takes a time to break down. It is
better worked into compost or in a liquid composter. You can buy seaweed
mixes as both a soil conditioner and foliar spray. Best make your own
however. It is cheaper and more fun. It is best used as a source of
nutrients rather than simply a soil conditioner.

The idea of liquid composting is that you always have a good supply of
compost tea available. I use a 200l barrell with a hessian sack inside
filled with basic compost. As the organic matter breaks down you simply add
more to the sack. The nutrients get dispersed into the water along with
various microbes. I treat is very much like a normal compost bin except for
things such as paper. You can add mixes of organic matter to alter the
content/mix of your liquid compost. Seaweed works well but takes some time.
One guy I know puts road kill in his.

The liquid probably needs a few months at least to be of any value. When you
strat to have a compost smelling liquid use a tap in the bottom of the
barrell and draw down what you need, the rest can stay in the barrell for
another day. Water the liquid down 10-1 or thereabouts and spray it on your
lawn of plants as a liquid fertiliser. It not only fertilises but seeds
microbal activity through the soil. It is also good as a foliar spray to
feed the plant directly. One theory is that the beneficial microbal activity
in the liquid compost crowds out the diseases.

rob