Crabapple trees on reclaimed surface mine

[Thunder]

Helps the PH in soil, good calcium for plants, softens clay helps it retain water, contains trace nutrients, slow release, good for worms, helps soil break down micronutrients for plants to use.

I just get the stuff they use for laying hens it's like $15 for a fifty-pound bag, powdered would be a faster release. When I plant trees, I mix a solo cup full into the dirt going back in hole, on existing trees it can just be spread around drip line. I usually only ever do it once.
I've seen the biggest benefit using it with conifer trees and in the garden...also mix it in the dirt in my starter box for just grafted fruit trees that I'm healing in for a year.

Another really good soil amendment is gypsum; I use it the same...sometimes in conjunction with oyster shell, very similar and hard to overuse. I spread gypsum over my whole yard it is especially great in clay soils. Takes 2-3 years to see results but will stop ground cracking and make lawn look like a golf course.

I've had a few food plot guys telling me I need gypsum and biochar. I'd love to add that but it's alot of money for hypothetical results. I might add gypsum to a few holes but it's not a priority.

 

[H20fwler]

I've had a few food plot guys telling me I need gypsum and biochar. I'd love to add that but it's alot of money for hypothetical results. I might add gypsum to a few holes but it's not a priority.

Buying it by the bag gets expensive, by the ton in volume isn't bad at all if you have flattish ground a front-end loader and a big spreader. Our co-op will put it on here if I buy enough tonnage.... and I don't.

 

[bigboreblr]

Biochar works great. C-N ratio. No C no N. I do that on the camp's lawn area around the cabin. Every year or so, the club president plays with his tractor re leveling and making water in spot worse. IT just leaves beach sand on the top... I get a fire going nice n hot, have a few cold ones around it, then whack it with water. I rake out the coals to the side, and you got biochar. Probably better ways to do it, but it works. Its the spounge that soaks up your fertilizer.

Never played with gypsum, can't find a decent deal. Old sheet rock is one way to get it. I got high calicum levels already as per the last soil test. Tossing lime at the clay every year. about a 1/2 ton /acre.

Spreading nitrogen around old log landings or places where the mulcher machine was working hard is a good idea. Even if it's 100lbs / acre. Lots of C from the trees, add some N to balance out. Helps break down the tree litter quicker. Most of my foodplots at camp are old log landings. And 99.9% be ended by reusing it as a log landing. Leases can be frustrating, hasn't happened yet. Kinda feel overdue though.