Soil organic matter is important to good plant performance. Adding organic matter can improve any soil, no matter how compacted. Learn how to check your soil for organic matter and improve its quality with amendments.
Neil Bell, Dan M. Sullivan, Linda Brewer, John M. Hart |
May 2003 |
Extension Catalog publicationPeer reviewed (Orange level)
Photo by Flickr:Doug Beckers. (Cropped from original)
From the myth of collapsing root balls to the myth of compost tea - learn the facts about a range of tips you may have heard through the years about healthy soil, pretty mulch, and more.
Discusses mulching woody ornamentals (trees and shrubs) with organic materials. Covers the reasons for mulching, how to apply mulch, and how to maintain its beneficial effects over time. General principles described ...
Discusses how to identify and control Pacific poison-oak and western poison-ivy, and how to prevent exposure to the plants' oily substance, urushiol, which can cause an allergic contact dermatitis.
Brooke Edmunds, Lauren Grand, Alicia Christiansen, Andy Hulting |
Nov 2022 |
Extension Catalog publicationPeer reviewed (Orange level)
Poison oak plants contain a chemical that causes a severe rash. Learn how to spot a plant, safely remove, and clean your clothes, gear and skin afterward to prevent a rash.
Aerated compost teas have no scientifically documented effect as pathogen suppressors. Overuse and runoff of compost teas could conceivably contribute to water pollution. There is no “silver bullet” for plant health problems caused by poor soil health and improper plant selection and management
Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D. |
Mar 2015 |
Online resource
Q: What do you recommend for keeping weeds at bay in planting beds? We'd like to stop using Round-Up. Our beds are too big and the weeds are too numerous to be able to keep up mechanically. Would a vinegar solution be harmful to the soil?