Liming

The addiction of lime serves several purposes. It provides calcium which is important for nutrient for the growth of root tips and shoots.

Vegetables, flowers and fruit particular need a good supply of calcium. Percolating water steadily removes lime as well as other elements, and this in turn leads to increasing soil acidity in which many plants can not flourish.

Addition of lime counteracts acidity and is also useful in breaking up heavy clay soil (flocculation). Several types are available, including ground limestone, chalk, quicklime and hydrated lime. The most common and useful variety is ground chalk which is fine-textured and concentrated and less quickly leached out of the soil than hydrated lime. Spread the evenly over the soil surface after digging. Never ass any other type of soil dressing at the same time and do add lime until at least 3 months after digging in humus-making material.

Once a lime-dressing has applied, allow 4-6 week for rain to wash it into the soil before other dressings or sowing seeds. Do not add more than the recommended amount of excessive doses cause the humus content to break down very rapidly.

Adding Humus

Good humus content in the soil is vital as a means of holding nutrients in a form which can be used by marijuana plants. The humus content of a soil can be increased and maintained by the addition of humus-making materials, of which there are two basic types.

Raw humus is organic materials which have not been decayed by the action of bacteria. Examples include grass clippings and the very acid “mor” peat. An addition of raw humus-making materials is useful in that bacterial activity in the soil is stimulated, and textural improvements occur. On the other hand the rapid increase in bacterial activity uses up soil nitrogen which is needed by growing plants.

Matured humus is organic materials well decayed by bacterial action. Examples include fen peats of rotted manure, garden compost etc. Manure humus is slower-acting than raw humus, and it preserves the soil nitrogen decomposed. Raw humus can be transformed into mature humus by composting

Compost Heaps

Garden compost is a readily available form of humus-making material. A compost heap can be made a range of organic materials, including grass, clippings, peat, deciduous leaves, soft weeds, kitchen waste (potatoes peelings, tea leaves etc.), newspapers, straw and bracken. Such waste material is decayed and turned into compost by bacteria, provided air and moisture are available. Properly made compost is ideal humus. Most gardens have room for one compost heap, which may be free standing or enclosed in a wooden or wire-netting bin or in ready made compost-maker, made from polyethylene and sold under various brand names. Where space allows, a series of three compost bins can be erected, one with decayed material ready for use one for raw materials as it becomes available.

Give the compost heap a base layer of coarse materials-straw or broken-up cabbage stumps-and tread firmly without compressing the layer to much; next add a layer, similarly about 20cm deep, of soft materials such as grass clippings, kitchen waste or soft weeds, followed by a thinner layer of soil. Add water if the materials are dry. Do not use diseased or chemically treated ingredients, avoid woody plants and twigs; the latter can be burnt and the ashes mixed with soft weeds.

Organic Manures

Manure is an equally good source of humus provided that it is properly rotted. Fresh manure not only has an unpleasant smell, but also contains many harmful acids. Stable manure and general farm manure are good additions to all types on soil. Poultry manure, high in nitrogen, is less suitable as a humus-maker but can be added to compost heaps.

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