Soil amendment is crucial to enhance your garden soil and ensure your plants get the right nutrients.
Greensand is an organic fertilizer which improves the mineral and nutrient content, as well as the overall plant health. It also prevents the occurrence of disease and pests.
This fertilizer is composed of the mineral glauconite and includes a sufficient amount of potash.
However, you can mix greensand into your soil along with other additives to get a complete and balanced nutrient mix.
Greensand is created in anoxic marine environments like New Jersey’s late-Cretaceous deposits in the United States.
It is OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) listed for organic matter production and uses, making it an ideal choice for organic gardening.
What is Greensand?
Greensand is a type of sand that naturally occurring iron potassium silicate, which is harvested from ocean floors to use as a soil conditioner because the moisture is better than the regular sand.
It is made with phosphoric acid, iron oxide, marine potash, lime, magnesia, silica, and other trace minerals. It gets its green color due to its high amount of mineral content.
It helps in loosening the heavy soils and enhancing drainage while improving the quantity of potassium and other micro-nutrients.
It is widely used as an amendment for organic soil, however, application rates depend on the soil conditions.
The slow release of phosphate and potash doesn’t burn any plants, and its minerals improve the moisture retention of the soil.
Since it is loaded with glauconite, it is one of the top certified organic sources of potassium.
Why Is Glauconite Greensand Used?
While Greensand is a fertilizer, it doesn’t provide nutrients to the plants directly, like other lawn fertilizers.
It works by enhancing the soil structure and improving the nutrients and water retention of the soil.
As a result, you don’t have to fertilize and water the plants too often.
Greensand accumulates minerals when it is formed as marine sediment, which makes it an excellent source of potassium.
The slow release of minerals prevents root burn, which is generally caused by other stronger fertilizers.
Benefits of Greensand
Green Sand is also an ideal plant food used by numerous gardeners to improve the quality of clay and sandy soils.
For clay soil, it loosens the hard soil, enables more efficient water drainage, and encourages oxygen circulation. Compost will also loosen heavy clay soil and improve its drainage and texture.
For sandy soil, it reduces the frequency of water drainage and increases the retention of nutrients and moisture.
Best of all, Greensand is safe for the entire garden. It isn’t toxic to humans and pets, and you’re able to use it without the need to wear gloves.
This fertilizer doesn’t disrupt or harm the beneficial microorganisms in the garden soil, making it bio-available for any garden.
How to Use Greensand?
Greensand is not water-soluble and breaks up in the soil.
You must apply it directly to the soil without mixing it with water.
It should be applied during the spring season, either as an all-purpose fertilizer or as a soil amendment.
The quantity of Greensand depends on how and where you want to use it.
Moreover, it is also dependent on the way each manufacturer made it.
Some include sand in the Greensand mixture, which might affect the overall product’s strength.
Moreover, the existing quality of the soil should also be considered before determining the amount of Greensand fertilizer to use.
Typically, the Greensand is used in the following way:
- Trees and plants – Add two cups of greensand to the soil around the trees and plants
- Houseplants and Container gardens – add two tablespoons for each gallon of potting soil you use
- Bushes – combine 1/3 cup for each bush when fertilizing or planting
- Lawns – combine 16 pounds of Greensand for every 1,000 square feet
- Vegetable and flower gardens – add 30 pounds for each 1,000 square feet
- Broadcast application – use around 50 to 100 pounds of Greensand for every 1,000 square feet of soil
After the soil amendment with Greensand in the first year, you should reduce the frequency.
It is better to use 1 to 2 pounds for every 100 square feet if the soil still requires amendment.
This means the addition of greensand to your single-use soil is a complete waste of time and money.
Greensand is also used for plants sensitive to strong fertilizers as it is gentle and doesn’t cause any damage to those plants.
Over-application of Greensand isn’t a cause of concern as it is not hot enough to result in any burns.
You may also use it for potted plants, but it is only beneficial to enhance the condition of the soil.
Its slow-release nature won’t be rapid enough to improve the potassium in the potted plants.
You should include vermiculite, perlite, or coconut coir for potted plants for better results.