SoilErosion.com

Soil Erosion Problems and Solutions

soilerosionst

Soil Amendments and the Impacts of Soil Erosion

In theory, you could go into your backyard, dig up a section, and plant a tomato plant seedling. Over time, that tomato plant would grow more prominent, develop yellow blossoms, and those blossoms would become tomatoes that you can harvest. It doesn’t always work out. Your seedling may not do well because its root system cannot expand due to a soil that has a lot of clay in it. You may have blossom end rot because there is a lack of calcium in the ground. There are many different scenarios for why your garden isn’t able to grow vibrant plants.

When your soil doesn’t have everything that a plant needs to grow, you’ll need to make additions to the ground so that it will be ready. This scenario is where soil amendments come into play. Learn more about what soil amendments are and how you can make the most of them. 

What is Soil Amendment?

A soil amendment is something that you add to the dirt to make it more suitable for growing plants. Soil amendments can be used to address issues with aeration, nutrients, pH, and more. Each soil amendment has its own positives and negatives, so it’s often beneficial to determine what problem needs to be fixed before deciding on the proper amendment that you need to use. 

Soil Erosion and Amendments

Soil erosion can take away much-needed minerals, nutrients, and other characteristics that make up fertile soil. The wind and other agents of erosion remove dirt from your garden, and this removal of the topsoil can negatively impact the makeup of the land. If you believe that your garden may have been adversely affected by soil erosion, it is time to look into the use of amendments.

Testing Your Soil

After you’ve noticed that your soil isn’t performing as it should, it’s time to determine what is wrong. It can be very beneficial to test your soil to see what is missing or in overabundance. Some gardeners think that adding a lot of fertilizer amendments are always a good move, but too much can be just as big an issue as not enough in the soil. That’s often why it’s better to start out testing the dirt before making any changes with the amendments. 

There are testing kits that allow you to test your soil yourself to see what needs to be addressed, but you can also have it sent out to a lab to test. Once you’ve learned the cause behind your poor soil, you can choose what amendment you should use to fix it.  

How Much Soil Amendment Do I Need?

The question when it comes to how much soil amendment you need will depend on a few factors. The most important factor is what are you using the amendment to address. For instance, if you are looking to change the pH value of your soil because it’s too acidic, you’ll add lime. Too much lime and your soil’s pH can be just as problematic as soil that’s too acidic. Not enough lime and your soil’s pH won’t change enough. In some cases, it can be a delicate balancing act to get the right amount added. 

The instructions that come with the amendment can be essential in not going overboard with it. These instructions will typically tell you how much of the amendment you should add to a particular sized area. It will also tell you the specific way that you should apply it to get the most benefit from the amendment.   

What is the Best Soil Amendment?

There are a large variety of soil amendments that can work wonders on an underperforming garden. You can find topsoil, garden soil, coconut coir, compost, compost tea, fertilizers, peat moss, manure, mushroom compost, lime, gypsum, and more. 

The best soil amendments are the ones that will fix the issue that you’ve noticed. It can depend on the circumstances. For instance, container gardening does better with lighter soil compositions, so you may find that adding coconut coir to garden soil will give you the benefits from the coconut coir without weighing down the container.    

Organic Soil Amendments

Organic soil amendments are any amendments that you add to the soil that don’t contain any human-made chemicals in them. They are entirely natural, and for many, believed to be a safer option. Farms and gardens that are deemed organic can only use organic amendments. Some examples of organic amendments include manure, leaf mold, mulch, compost, and bat guano.   

Soil Amendments for Clay

Clay soil can be a real issue for gardeners. It often retains too much water, making proper drainage an issue, and can be too heavy for roots to grow into the soil thoroughly. This problem can usually be addressed by adding in an amendment to remove the negative impact that the clay can have on a garden.

Peat moss and coconut coir are two excellent amendments for dealing with soil that features a lot of dense clay. These amendments provide a couple of benefits. One is that they both help to add aeration to the dirt when mixed into the soil. It helps the earth have more air spaces for water to drain and roots to grow. It also can add mass to the land that allows it not to compact down easily. Another is that they help to retain moisture in the soil and slowly release it as needed for the plants growing. 

You’ll want to mix a decent amount of coconut coir or peat moss into the soil before planting your crops for the upcoming growing season. Continue adding the amendment until you get to the point where the clay is no longer an issue. You may also consider adding some additional topsoil in equal parts if you’re working in a large area with a lot of clay.

Your garden can only perform as well as the soil it is growing in. Sometimes, the plants need a helping hand to get them to where they could be with the perfect conditions. Gardeners that want the biggest blooms on their roses or a big crop of vegetables should look into adding soil amendments when needed. These additions to the soil can make a world of difference for how well a garden will grow.

Biodegradable Fabric: Best Uses in Your Garden

Avid personal or professional gardeners know that water retention — especially in the summer — is a constant concern. If you leave your plants untended, they’ll die; if you overwater them, they’ll fail, as well. Without timed irrigation, you’re forced to rely on a neighbor to properly water your plants, which doesn’t always work out in your favor.

Luckily, there are new products on the market to help improve your garden and take the guesswork out of watering. While peat moss has been traditionally used to aid in plant growth, coir mats and biodegradable fabrics are much more sustainable products. Coir mats have become a go-to for gardening as they’ve become more available and improved in quality. 

What Is Coir?

Coir is a fiber extracted from coconut shells, commonly called the ‘golden fiber’ because of the golden hue it develops when cleaned. It’s fungus-resistant, retains water well, is durable, and provides excellent insulation for your plants. It’s also popular among pet owners, as it’s non-toxic and doesn’t attract their attention the way cocoa mulch might. It’s available in many forms, including woven and nonwoven mats perfect for gardening.

Preventing Erosion

Coir mats are great tools for preventing erosion, serving much the same purpose as straw wattles but with the added benefits of being both biodegradable and not harmful to wildlife. If you have sloped garden beds, coir matting can absorb excess rainwater and provide a safe space for your plants to grow. These mats generally come in both woven and nonwoven varieties and are available in several thicknesses. You can use the biodegradable mats on slopes above your garden, as well, to help control water and sediment flow.

Conserving Water

In addition to being more sustainable than peat moss, coir helps with water conservation efforts. In areas where drought is an issue, biodegradable fabrics such as coir mats can help reduce water usage in gardening and landscaping projects. Properly maintained coir mats require watering only once every week to 10 days due to their ability to retain moisture.

Germinating Sensitive Seedlings

If you want to make sure germinating seedlings have appropriate water and nutrients, a coir mat can help. Because they’re nontoxic and resistant to mold, bacteria, and fungus, coir mats provide a safe, stable environment for your seedlings to grow. They also offer natural nutrients as they decompose, invigorating your soil and extending the life of your garden plot. 

Coir mats can also be custom-sized, meaning you can fit them to your needs. They’re suitable for everything from small window plots that need help growing to large backyard gardens. 

Encouraging Sustainable Gardening

Coir mats, pots, and other biodegradable fabric products are smart options for amateur and professional gardeners alike. Their sustainability gives them a considerable advantage over peat products, as coconut trees only take six to eight years to mature and produce enough fruit to easily handle the demands for coir. Peat moss grows very slowly, and its harvest is monitored carefully. Coir is much more eco-friendly.

If you’re considering taking on a new landscaping project or improving your garden, look into coir mats and other biodegradable fabrics. Choose from the variety of products available to find something that will fit with your needs while being eco-friendly and pet-safe.

Using Coir to Help With Soil Stabilization

Soil stabilization is an integral part of a variety of projects, from commercial and industrial construction to home gardening. Whether you need to build a road or just want to improve your property’s soil to encourage healthy plant life, soil stabilization is something you should consider early in your project.

What Is Soil Stabilization?

Simply put, soil stabilization is the process of altering your soil to enhance its physical properties. For example, a team working on a construction project might use soil stabilization as a way to increase the load-bearing capabilities of the ground they’re building on so the roadway or building has a more solid foundation. 

There are two main methods of soil stabilization:

  • Mechanical stabilization, which involves mechanical alteration of the soil (i.e., dropping a heavy weight repeatedly on the soil to smooth and compact the surface);
  • Chemical stabilization, which relies on adding something to the soil to alter its properties. Standard chemical stabilization additives include cement, lime, kiln dust, and fly ash.

Most recently, a form of chemical stabilization called polymer/alternative stabilization has begun to gain popularity, as the materials used are generally cheaper and more effective than traditional chemical stabilization additives. 

Using Coir for Soil Stabilization

Researchers have begun studying the use of coir fiber as a stabilization method and comparing it to standard chemical soil stabilization methods. Coir fibers — made from the husk of coconuts — are far more sustainable than most traditional chemical additives and have the advantage of being more eco-friendly. However, because of their biodegradable nature, coir fiber might need to be added to soil more frequently than would other chemical products. 

Coir pith is one of the forms of coir most commonly used for soil stabilization, as it can be purchased in easily transportable blocks to be crumbled on-site or it can be converted to organic ‘manure’ that you can spread quickly through the topsoil. 

Using coir as a soil stabilizer in your garden can have additional benefits. Because coir is fungus- and bacteria-resistant, it provides extra protection for your plants. It also increases the soil’s ability to hold water, as it is highly water-retentive. And as it breaks down, coir adds essential nutrients to your soil, contributing to your garden’s long-term health. This is especially useful when planting sensitive seeds or germinating plants that need specific conditions in which to grow successfully.

Soil stabilization is something that exists both to prepare residential landscaping sites and to improve commercial and industrial construction areas. From providing a more stable base for roadways to ensuring a solid foundation for new buildings, soil stabilization is widely practiced around the world. And while traditional methods have worked well for decades, new, eco-friendly ways are beginning to gain interest and popularity.

If you’re interested in soil stabilization, we recommend incorporating coir fiber as part of your plan. With its relatively low cost, high sustainability, and ease of use, coir fibers add strength and nutrients to your soil without resorting to harsh chemicals that can leach into groundwater. 

How to Use a Shade Cloth in Your Garden

Certain kinds of plants can be affected by the blazing summer heat and can be damaged or die from excessive sunlight. Shade cloths provide a solution to this issue by covering the plant and shielding it from the sun, which, in turn, helps the plant thrive. This guide will cover the basics of shade cloth, how to use it in your garden, and its benefits.

What Is Shade Cloth?

Shade cloth is made of a breathable material and, as such, it’s an effective and protective cover for plants. This knitted fabric allows sunlight and water to pass through. When you use shade cloth to shelter your plants, they won’t get scorched in the heat of the summer. With shade cloth, plants can get the proper amounts of sunlight and water they need for survival, without getting too much sun.

To accommodate every plant’s different growing conditions, shade cloth comes in a variety of materials, strengths, and sizes. Before you use shade cloth, make sure you’re using the appropriate type for your plants, climate, and growing space.

The Benefits of Using Shade Cloth

Using shade cloth as a protective barrier for your plants provides your garden with an abundance of benefits. The primary advantage of using shade cloth is that it keeps the summer sun from damaging your plants while still allowing air to circulate and water to pass through. As an added bonus, if you use a shade cloth, you could plant seeds a couple of weeks earlier than you would normally because the cloth will keep the ground warm in any season.

Thanks to its straightforward installation and affordable pricing, shade cloth is a budget-friendly way to protect plants in a garden. Also making shade cloth an economical choice is the fact that it can be used season after season, so long as it is well-maintained.

How to Use Shade Cloth

First, starting at one end of a row of plants, insert a garden hoop into the soil. Place extra garden hoops (make sure they’re at least a foot higher than the plants) approximately 2 feet apart down each row of the garden. Lay the shade cloth over each row of hoops. It’s important to keep an excess of shade cloth at the ends of each row so it touches the soil. 

Next, at the ends of the rows, you’ll need to anchor the shade cloth to the soil. Finally, water the garden thoroughly as normal. You don’t have to worry about removing the shade cloth when you’re watering, as it’s porous and breathable. Water will be able to reach your plants as well as the soil. You can remove the shade cloth when the hottest days have passed, roll it up, and store it in a dry area.

A shade cloth is a practical way to keep plants shaded and cool during the hot summer months. Shade cloth provides plants with many benefits and is relatively simple to install in any garden. Keep your garden protected from the sun by using shade cloth.

Natural Solutions for a Storm Drain Filter

The only thing going down your storm drain should be water. However, it’s all too easy for sediment, chemicals, trash, and more to wash down the drain along with the rain. These items get mixed into lake and river runoff and are bad for both the environment and the animals that live in it. 

Storm drain filters are great options for preventing non-water runoff in your drains. And there’s a wide variety of natural filter options available to choose from.

Coir Storm Drain Filters

While most storm drain filters are designed to fit under the grate of your drain, acting as a catchall for the type of debris you’re filtering, coir filters are designed as easy-to-install pads. Coir filters go on top of your storm drain and can be easily sized and cut to fit your specific needs and allow water to flow through while blocking other debris easily. 

Coir is a natural fiber extracted from coconut husks. Due to its eco-friendliness and availability, it’s become much more popular in recent years as a tool to assist with erosion control, planting and gardening, water retention, and more. Coir storm drain filters are a new addition to the plethora of coir tools available and are easy to clean and maintain. Sweep the sediment from the top and sides of your coir filter, and it’s ready to work again.

Other Filtration Options

Coir storm drain filters are highly practical for a wide variety of uses, but some industries need specialized filters for their storm drains. For this reason, there are inset drains available that can filter items such as oils and heavy metals, trapping these pollutants effectively and keeping them out of waterways. In these cases, a coir storm drain filter might not be the best option. It’s important to do your research and make sure you’re using the right storm drain filter for your needs.

Changing Your Storm Drain Filter

It’s important to make sure you maintain your storm drain filters properly because your drains are essential to water filtration and healthy natural water sources. When and how you change your storm drain filters depends on their condition. At a minimum, you should replace your storm drain filter every three years.

Coir storm drain filters might need to be changed more often, as it’s possible for sediment to build up on top of the filter and prevent water from draining properly. If you notice pooling water or you struggle to remove all sediment from the top of your coir filter, it’s time for a replacement. Other signs it’s time to change the filter include more than a quarter inch of buildup, obvious scum, and several inches of water still standing more than a day after it’s rained.

Your coir drain filter is also biodegradable, so watch for signs that it’s beginning to decompose. While the fibers won’t hurt the waterways, it’s best to remove and replace the filter before it fully dissolves so you can make sure you’re protecting your drain.