Tuesday, March 24, 2009
WHAT'S ON THE SOIL SURFACE?
What is causing the soil to turn white on the surface? Can you guess the conditions which would create this problem?
This soil is from South Florida muck. We have been having the usual winter/spring drought, with sunny days and low humidity. The sample was obtained from a region which has been intensely farmed for many years. In addition, irrigation is via seepage, not overhead. The water comes from below. Combine years of fertilization and low soil moisture and you get a situation where fertilizer recrystallizes as moisture evaporates, with the lighter metals depositing on the surface.
Depending on the plant's tolerance to salts, this can be a big problem. Interestingly, this plant has been potted for two weeks and watered every two days. Yet, the salts are having difficulty dissolving.
One more bit of information, the soil sample lab result revealed calcium levels beyond the chart.
How do you resolve this problem? Short term, hope for rain or irrigate from overhead.
Long term, reduce fertilizers by applying beneficial bacteria which turn nitrogen in the air to ammonia. Inoculaid will do the trick. Hydretain will also help by providing a moisture barrier around the root zones to limit evaporation and to retain soil moisture.
Labels: drought, Hydretain, Inoculaid, salt damage
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