Marl soil, how to improve it?

Dalmatiansoap · 03-24-2012, 04:50 PM

Most of my orchaid is marl/clay soil as U can see in this pic. U can also notice that my Pindo palm is staring to loose color and I dont know how to act to stop that and what to do to improve soil quality?

Nicolas Naranja · 03-24-2012, 05:28 PM

Liberal applications of organic matter and foliar feeding of micronutrients. Homestead, Florida City, and the Redlands are all marl and crushed rock. There is some information available. Check out trec.ifas.ufl.edu.

sunfish · 03-24-2012, 05:33 PM

Bob3 · 03-25-2012, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Liberal applications of organic matter and...

Yep! LOTSA mulch, compost & for the after dinner treat, aged cow poop!
... or mix in a sack of potting soil in the hole the next time you're planting something.

sunfish · 03-25-2012, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dalmatiansoap

Most of my orchaid is marl/clay soil as U can see in this pic. U can also notice that my Pindo palm is staring to loose color and I dont know how to act to stop that and what to do to improve soil quality?

My soil is worse than yours

Olafhenny · 03-25-2012, 09:43 PM

That this soil desperately needs organic matter, is a given. That means get friendly with somebody
who raises a lot of animals, - a zoo will do -, and get all the manure, washed kelp etc., you can get.
Start composting big time!

The rest of the treatment of the soil depends very much on if it is clay based or silt based. The
two are hard to tell apart, but which it is makes a whole lot of difference.

Here is how you can find out: place a cherry to plum size lump of it in a container overnight. If the
next morning the lump is still solid, it is clay. If the lump has dissolved into a little pile or comes
apart when touched, you are lucky and have silt.

How hard is it to till? If it is too hard, you might want to spread some sand over the organic stuff,
whatever it is, before you till it under.

Tip: At construction sites they may often like to get rid of top soil.

Good luck,
Olaf

Dalmatiansoap · 03-26-2012, 03:25 PM

Thanks all. Im aware of the most U said and I read many lines on the net about all that for a last day or two. As the "first aid" stuff many recomends adding sulphur based ferts? I dont realy want to deal with a lot of chemical stuff there and I dont have idea how can I apply sulphur in the most natural way?

Nicolas Naranja · 03-26-2012, 09:21 PM

There is likely so much calcium carbonate in your soil that sulfur will not help unless you are applying several tons per acre.

SL 183/TR004: Calcareous Soils In Miami-Dade County

03-24-2012, 04:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
Dalmatiansoap Let there be light Dalmatiansoap's Photo Gallery Location: Makarska, Croatia Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Ante Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 9,161 BananaBucks : 677,575 Feedback: 10 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6,508 Times Was Thanked 8,384 Times in 3,032 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 720 Times	Marl soil, how to improve it? Most of my orchaid is marl/clay soil as U can see in this pic. U can also notice that my Pindo palm is staring to loose color and I dont know how to act to stop that and what to do to improve soil quality? __________________ https://abnb.me/AXJty518xib

03-24-2012, 05:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
Nicolas Naranja Muck bananas Nicolas Naranja 's Photo Gallery Location: Pahokee, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Nick Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,217 BananaBucks : 538,494 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 5,665 Times in 1,563 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Marl soil, how to improve it? Liberal applications of organic matter and foliar feeding of micronutrients. Homestead, Florida City, and the Redlands are all marl and crushed rock. There is some information available. Check out trec.ifas.ufl.edu. __________________ Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

03-24-2012, 05:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 1,302,921 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,593 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: Marl soil, how to improve it?

03-25-2012, 09:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 274,304 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Marl soil, how to improve it? That this soil desperately needs organic matter, is a given. That means get friendly with somebody who raises a lot of animals, - a zoo will do -, and get all the manure, washed kelp etc., you can get. Start composting big time! The rest of the treatment of the soil depends very much on if it is clay based or silt based. The two are hard to tell apart, but which it is makes a whole lot of difference. Here is how you can find out: place a cherry to plum size lump of it in a container overnight. If the next morning the lump is still solid, it is clay. If the lump has dissolved into a little pile or comes apart when touched, you are lucky and have silt. How hard is it to till? If it is too hard, you might want to spread some sand over the organic stuff, whatever it is, before you till it under. Tip: At construction sites they may often like to get rid of top soil. Good luck, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

03-26-2012, 03:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Dalmatiansoap Let there be light Dalmatiansoap's Photo Gallery Location: Makarska, Croatia Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Ante Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 9,161 BananaBucks : 677,575 Feedback: 10 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6,508 Times Was Thanked 8,384 Times in 3,032 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 720 Times	Re: Marl soil, how to improve it? Thanks all. Im aware of the most U said and I read many lines on the net about all that for a last day or two. As the "first aid" stuff many recomends adding sulphur based ferts? I dont realy want to deal with a lot of chemical stuff there and I dont have idea how can I apply sulphur in the most natural way? __________________ https://abnb.me/AXJty518xib

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03-26-2012, 09:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
Nicolas Naranja Muck bananas Nicolas Naranja 's Photo Gallery Location: Pahokee, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Nick Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,217 BananaBucks : 538,494 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 5,665 Times in 1,563 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Marl soil, how to improve it? There is likely so much calcium carbonate in your soil that sulfur will not help unless you are applying several tons per acre. SL 183/TR004: Calcareous Soils In Miami-Dade County __________________ Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

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