Evening star., 1953-02-15
Soil Conditioners !
Problems of What and How Much to Use
Are Eosed by Results From Some Tests
By w. H. Youngmon
GoFden Editor

~ W. ts
GoFden
With spring coming, the an
nual problem of soil preparation
will be given due consideration.
Some Of this thought will un-
doubtedly turn to the chemical
soil cunditioners." Last year a
great many highly advertised
chemicals. both powder and
liquid were offered the home
gardener. Extravagant claims
were made for some and the au-
thorities had to step on them.
It is to be hoped that nnislead-
ing or fraudulent claims viii not
appear this spring.
It should be remembered that
these materials are so new that
some have not been adequately
tested by the experiment sta
tionS. Many tests were started
in 1852, but they need to be con-
tinued. One seasons results are
not always reliable. Moreover, a
material that is applied to the
soil should be tested on all major
soil types.
There were a few facts re-
leased on the basis of the 1852
studies that bear repeating. For
a synthetic soil conditioner to
bind tiny clay particles together,
it must be applied to a soil that
has been worked into a seed bed
condition" In Nother words, the
soil must be pulverized before
applying the powder. After ap-
plication, the conditioner must
be thoroughly mixed with the
pulverized soil. A third stirring
is believed helpful after a rain
or wetting the soil.
Measuring Essential.
Accurate measurement Of the
material is essential to its use.
because it is a powerful alkali
and if used in excess Of the
recommended dosage, it can in
jure plants.
The depth of application Of
the soil conditioner depends upon
several factors. A shallow ap-
plication probably will be ade-
quate for a lawn or bed where
the soil is not turned each sea-
son. The main function of such
an application is to keep the
soil from crusting.
In beds or gardens where the
soil is regularly spaded and hui
mus and other materials worked
into the earth. a deeper applica-
tion of the soil conditioner would
seem desirable to avoid the eff
fort and expense of reapplying
each year until the soil has been
fully established.
However. most gardeners lack
an adequate supply of compost
and on the heavier clay soils will
want to take advantage of the
soil conditioners. Band applica-
tions-a 4-inch wide strip along
the planting rows will give i'm
proved seed sprouting as well as
plant growth, according to one
series of tests made last summer.
Active Ingredients Vary.
There are a number Of mate
rials being offered as soil condi-
tioners, but experimental evil
dence is not yet available as to
which is best. Probably more is
available on the action of the
polyacrylites than on the poly
vinylites, cellulose and lignin
derivatives, and silicates. More
important, however, is the great |
variation in the amount of ac-
tive ingredient in the forms of@
fered. They varied from Is to
SO per cent in 1852. Inasmuch
as it takes a definite quantity to
stabilize the soil particles it will
take over six times as much of
a product with only Is per cent
active ingredient as it will of one
with 98 per cent.
There is still no information as
to how long the effects of a soil
conditioner will last. Prelimi-
nary tests indicate that the poly
acrylates are relatively immune
to bacterial attack. Just what eff
feet frost action will have is still
to be determined. They are
thought to be unaffected by rain
and cultivation, but that is still
improved.
Prof. C. r. Kemper. Extension
Specialist of the University of
West Virginia, demonstrated the
action of a soil conditioner by
putting treated and untreated
soils in a glass tube and then
pouring water into the tube. The
treated soil was taken from a
plot on which a soil conditioner
was applied in the spring of 1852 |
at the rate of 1000 pounds per
acre. Water permeated the
treated soil within very. few
minutes. In the tube with un-
treated soil, it took more than an
hour for the water to trickle out
at the bottom.
Half-and-Ha Works.