Greensand

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 mineral glauconite and includes a sufficient amount of potash.

What is Greensand?

Greensand is a naturally occurring iron potassium silicate, which is harvested from ocean floors to use as a soil conditioner.

It is made with phosphoric acid, iron oxide, marine potash, lime, magnesia, silica, and other trace minerals.

and gets its green color due to its high amount of mineral content.

will help in loosening the heavy soils and enhancing the drainage while improving the quantity of potassium and other micro-nutrients.

It is widely used as an amendment for organic soil.

The slow release of phosphate and potash don’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 for potassium.

Why Is 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 strong fertilizers.

Greensand is also an ideal plant food used by numerous gardeners to improve the quality of clay soils and sandy soils.

For clay soil, it loosens the hard soil and enables more efficient water drainage and encourages oxygen circulation in the soil.

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 dependant 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 this fertilizer 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 cups 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 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.

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.