Soil Management
Soil Management
Information on soil management of trees and shrubs, including nutritional requirements, soil testing, fertilization, soil fertility and pH. Tips on site selection and dealing with road salt injury.
News Mulch Volcanoes Are Erupting Everywhere!
07/19/2018
Extension educators, arborists, and other knowledgeable horticulturists have railed against the prevalence of mulch volcanoes for decades. So why do we still see so much mulch piled around the trunks of trees? More
Articles Mulching Landscape Trees
David R. Jackson
Mulches are materials placed over the soil surface to enhance landscape beauty, improve soil conditions, protect plants from foot traffic and lawn equipment, and suppress weeds. More
Articles Soil health and best practices for urban gardens More
Articles Techniques for Dealing with Road Salt Injury
Thomas Ford
Sodium chloride remains the predominant deicing compound utilized by residential property owners, township supervisors, and landscape contractors in our region. More
Articles Soil testing is a soil-management tool used to determine the fertility of soil as well as the optimum lime and fertilizer requirements for crops. More
Articles Ericacea (Heath) Family and Their Culture
Jim Sellmer, Ph.D., Rick Bates, Ph.D.
Generally, the ericaceous plants are woody and range in size from low ground covers to small trees over 20 feet tall. More
Articles Choosing Plants Wisely
Emelie Swackhamer, J. Robert Nuss, Larry Kuhns, Gregory Hoover
To create and maintain a healthy landscape, choose plants that are suited to the conditions in your yard. More
Articles Use this table to determine the equivalent amounts of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash of each fertilizer material. More
Articles Spent Mushroom Substrate
David Meigs Beyer, Ph.D.
Spent mushroom substrate is the soil-like material remaining after a crop of mushrooms. Spent substrate is high in organic matter making it desirable for use as a soil amendment or soil conditioner. More
Articles Forest Stewardship: Backyard Trees
William Elmendorf, Ph.D.
Trees help improve water quality, increase property values and make neighborhoods more visually appealing. This article provides tips for choosing, planting, and caring for backyard trees. More
Articles Overview of Plant Diagnostics
Tim Abbey
Getting to the bottom of a plant problem can be a challenge. More
Articles Lacebark Pine: Its Bark is Better Than its Bite
Sandy Feather
Lacebark pine, Pinus bungeana, is native to eastern and central China. More
Articles How to Pasteurize Medium and Sterilize Containers and Tools
Jim Sellmer, Ph.D., Kathy Kelley, Ph.D., Phyllis Lamont
To increase the survival rate for seedlings during germination, containers and tools should be sterilized and pasteurized or sterile soilless mixes should be used as growing medium. More
Articles Don't Guess... Soil Test
Scott Guiser
Proper soil fertility is the foundation for plant health. Different types of plants have specific nutritional requirements and soil pH and nutrient levels vary greatly from site to site. More
Articles Greenhouse and nursery operators can learn proper use of fertilizer injectors to deliver precise concentrations of water-soluble nutrients to plants. More
Articles Soil provides support for the plant and is also the storehouse for plant nutrients, water, and oxygen for root growth. More
Articles Apples and pears, botanically referred to as pomes, are excellent candidates for the home garden, as long as you are committed to the attention to detail and pest management they require. More
Articles Conduct a soil test, and lime and fertilize a 10-by-10-foot area where each tree will be planted. More
Articles Test and amend the soil according to the soil test directions a year before planting. More
Articles Generally, apple trees need fertilizing each year. More
Articles Shortly after planting, apply 8 ounces of 10-10-10 per plant. More
Articles Several blueberry species are indigenous to the United States. More
Articles Although the total amount of nutrients in the soil is important, the balance among them can be even more critical. Too much of a nutrient can be just as bad as too little. More
Articles Home Orchard - Site Selection
Robert Crassweller, Ph.D.
The success of an orchard is only as good as the planning and site preparation that go into it. More