Lost about which product to buy? It may be useful to describe the different materials available to you when you go shopping next time.
Not to be confused with fertilizer Fertilizers are chemical substances supplied to the crops to increase their productivity. These are used by the farmers daily to increase the crop yield. The fertilizers contain the essential nutrients required by the plants, including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.
Adding manure to soils is an excellent way to increase soil organic matter. … In addition to slowly releasing plant nutrients over time, organic matter improves soil structure and the soil’s ability to hold water.
Some of the common examples of manure are rabbit, cow, horse, chicken, sheep, goats, poultry, and bat excreta. Sources of Manure – There are many ways of obtaining manures, some of the widely used ones are: Wastes from cattle – urine, dung, and liquid mix or slurry from biogas plants.
Mulch is primarily made of organic material and can come in various forms. Mulch is commonly made of tree bark, wood chips, pine straw, moss, grass clippings, or leaves. Substances like newspaper, manure, compost, and rubber are also popular. Many materials are used as mulches, which are used to retain soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, suppress weed growth, and for aesthetics. They are applied to the soil surface, around trees, paths, flower beds, to prevent soil erosion on slopes, and in production areas for flower and vegetable crops. Mulch layers are normally 2 inches (5.1 cm) or more deep when applied.
They are applied at various times of the year depending on the purpose. Towards the beginning of the growing season, mulches serve initially to warm the soil by helping it retain heat which is otherwise lost during the night.
This allows early seeding and transplanting of certain crops, and encourages faster growth. Mulch acts as an insulator. As the season progresses, mulch stabilizes the soil temperature and moisture, and prevents the growing of weeds from seeds.
When ready for use, compost helps soil and plants in numerous ways, including:
- Increasing organic matter and microbial activity in the soil. Compost “feeds the soil,” making it easier for plants to get the nutrients they need by releasing them slowly and in small doses, the way nature does.
- Improving the soil’s water holding capacity helps soil retain moisture longer. This stimulates healthy root development.
- Loosening and aerating clay soils to make it easier for roots to establish themselves.