Acid soils? Your best vegetables choice.

Potatoes will help to break up the soil, while pumpkins, as we know will grow anywhere! Cucumbers are another good choice for clay soils. Both pumpkins and cucumbers have separate male and female flowers, but only the female flowers will develop fruit.

Beans are another good choice for clay soil as they make use of the nitrogen from the atmosphere and will greatly enrich the soil. And number five on our plant list for clay soils is sweet corn.

At the same time use a clay breaker such as Gyp-Life™ , Nutri-Gyp™ Natural Gypsum or Life-Force Base Blend™ , a living fertiliser to restore productive life to unproductive soils.

T he introduction of the “clay buster” in a liquid form such as Gyp-Life™ allows

 ease of application and more precision in placement. A high-analysis source of 

micronised natural gypsum combined in a free-flowing suspension with fulvic acid. 

The soil conditioning capacity of gypsum is dramatically magnified with the huge

 increase in surface area associated with a tiny 5 micron particle size.

Potassium (K) – Supplying the spark plug to your soil!

Soil: Light sandy soils contain very little clay, which is the storage medium for potassium. In these soils potassium is easily leached so it is a good idea to spoon feed (little amounts applied often). Heavier soils have much better potassium storage, but they will still need recharging from time to time. Liquid correctives are very effective when potassium needs recharging.

Plants: Potassium acts like a sparkplug which triggers over 50 enzymes within the plant. There is a higher requirement for potassium during the filling of fruit and seed. A liquid corrective can be an invaluable input. Potassium also helps to build disease resistance, strengthens cells, buffers temperature extremes and regulates the opening and closing of stomata (also stomata; plural stomata,  is a pore, found in the leaf and stem epidermis that is used for gas exchange).

Plant Deficiency:  This is the most mobile of all minerals so deficiency symptoms will appear first on the older leaves. This potassium shortage in lower leaves can trigger disease in many crops. The brown spots that appear on the lower leaves of tomato plants are a symptom of potassium deficiency. Potassium deficient leaves often have scorched edges. Fruit and see will be small and often shrivelled and the fruit will lack flavour. 

People: Potassium is an important electrolyte that plays a critical role in muscles, heart, kidney and nerve function. The ratio between sodium and potassium in the diet has an impact upon kidney health and associated issues with high blood pressure. Those suffering hypertension should increase their potassium input while reducing sodium intake. Potatoes, bananas, avocados and apricots are rich in potassium.

Link: Backyard Blooms

Colour me phosphorous (P)

Soil: Australian soils are often low in phosphorous (P). Native plants have adapted to this efficient take up of any available phosphorous, but exotic plants and food crops require supplementing with phosphorous. Phosphorous is most available to plants in a 6-7pH range.

Plants: This energy mineral is used in virtually every aspect of plant growth, including photosynthesis, and the formation of plant sugars and starches. Phosphorous promotes vigorous early root (excellent for root vegetables) as well as stem growth and flowering. The colour intensity of flowers, fruit and vegetables is determined by phosphorous.

People: Phosphorous is needed by every cell in the body and together with calcium, is essential for bone structure, pH balance and membrane structure in cells. This mineral  closely linked to reproductive health.

Animals: As with people, phosphorous is essential for bone structure and must be balanced with calcium and vitamin D for maximum benefit. It is essential in the production and mobilisation of energy and is required for reproductive efficiency.

Plant Deficiency Symptoms : Plants are usually stunted with a reduced capacity to produce fruit. Leaves can take on a dull green to purple hue, often affecting older leaves first. Purple lower leaves are a classic sign of phosphorous deficiency.

Old farm sites often have a good store of phosphorous locked away from years of super phosphate applications. Home gardeners can tap into this frozen reserve using inoculums of phosphate solubilising organisms.

Soil pH is a powerful guideline to nutrient uptake and it has been determined that a pH of 6.4 is ideal. At that level, the best balance of availabilities is found, so that your food plants will be providing the highest nutrient density for you and your family.

People often think pH as an indicator of calcium levels in soil, but magnesium is just as important, particularly in lighter soils. In these soils it is advised to use dolomite rather than limestone as you will require both calcium and magnesium.

An acid soil is equivalent to an empty pantry because it is dominated by the mineral, hydrogen, which is the acid element and it is not a plant food.