What does organic matter do for plants?
Organic matter causes soil particles to bind and form stable soil aggregates, which improves soil structure. With better soil structure, water infiltration through the soil increases and improves the soil’s ability to absorb and hold water as well as reduces the potential for surface crusting of the soil. Organic matter is important for better soil fertility and structure, and overall soil health. To increase organic matter levels you can: add organic materials like solid or liquid manures, plants or crop residues.Some of the problems with excessive soil organic matter are obvious. For example, residue from a corn crop can choke planting equipment for a following crop. There are more possible problems with soil organic matter that aren’t so obvious, though. Certain plants produce materials that are harmful to other plants.Most garden and landscape plants benefit from increases in soil organic matter. Soil amendments are materials applied to or mixed into the topsoil to change or change soil properties and improve plant growth. For example, compost improves soil structure and lime increases soil pH.The benefits of organic matter include improved soil structure, increased infiltration and water-holding capacity, increased cation exchange capacity, and more efficient long-term storage of plant nutrients. Without organic matter, you have no soil to speak of, only a dead mixture of ground-up and weathered rocks.
Can you add too much organic matter to soil?
While adding compost to your soil can increase soil organic matter and improve soil health and fertility, too much compost can cause problems for the health of your plants and the environment. Organic matter serves as a reservoir of nutrients and water in the soil, aids in reducing compaction and surface crusting, and increases water infiltration into the soil. Yet it’s often ignored and neglected.If immediate yield is the only goal, inorganic fertilizers may seem effective. However, they come at a heavy cost—damaging the very soil that feeds us. Organic fertilizers for plants, on the other hand, support a healthier ecosystem, protect human health, and ensure that farming remains viable for future generations.This could lead to excessive Fertilization: Over time, the high levels of organic material can result in overly fertile soil, which may harm certain plants by encouraging rapid, weak growth or making them more susceptible to pests and diseases.Soil organic matter can produce significant improvement in physical soil conditions. Increased soil organic matter will improve water retention, create more water-stable aggregates, improve air space (pore spaces), and improve water infiltration.
When to add organic matter to soil?
Incorporate it into soil at least three weeks before planting, or preferably earlier (up to six weeks before planting). In established planting areas, add organic matter as mulch around plantings each spring, before the rainy season; as it decomposes it will fertilize plants. It’s typically recommended to apply fertilizer in clay soil about every four to six weeks after planting. For plants growing in organic soil that’s rich with organic matter, only fertilize a little bit every three to four weeks.Timing: Apply fall lawn fertilizer once between August and November, right before winter hits, six to eight weeks after the summer feeding.If you use a slow-release fertilizer, it will take a little bit longer for them to start working, typically between 2-7 days. There are also slow-release organic fertilizers that are available, and they can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to start working.
Is organic matter a fertilizer?
Typical organic fertilizers include all animal waste including meat processing waste, manure, slurry, and guano; plus plant based fertilizers such as compost; and biosolids. Inorganic organic fertilizers include minerals and ash. Soil organic matter is the fraction of the soil that consists of plant or animal tissue in various stages of breakdown (decomposition). Most of our productive agricultural soils have between 3 and 6% organic matter. Soil organic matter contributes to soil productivity in many different ways.
What are the disadvantages of organic matter?
The problem with organic matter is that while plant nutrients are needed for crop growth, they can also stimulate excessive growth of the wrong plants – mainly, algae. In freshwater systems, such as ponds and lakes, excessive phosphorus will lead to excessive growth of algae. Provides nutrients Organic matter is an important source of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. These nutrients become available as the organic matter is decomposed by microorganisms. Because it takes time for this breakdown to occur, organic matter provides a slow release form of nutrients.