Garden soil improver
Soil amendment for gardens and horticulture
Bentonite clay as a soil improver for gardens and horticulture
- Soils of the Swan coastal plain are poorly structured sandy soils with low levels of clay and organic matter.
- This contributes to the poor soil structure, low fertility, poor wettability, low water holding capacity and poor nutrient retention capacity.
- Sandy soils can be improved by the addition of clay and organic materials.
- Watheroo Minerals bentonite clays are available as granules, which can be easily supplied to new soil, garden beds or new lawns or onto established lawns.
- To improve the soil quality it may be necessary to add clay, rates of 1-3 % will have very beneficial effects on soil quality and plant growth and yield.
- For most gardens it is necessary to treat only the top 20 cm of soil, which is the root zone. Recommended clay addition rates are shown in Table 1.
- Incorporating organic matter like compost into the soil with the clay is also recommended. The combination of organic matter and clay will assist the improved structure, chemistry and biological activity of the soil.