Use soil additives that best fit your needs

Some people, solely out of habit, think they have to use lots of fancy, expensive, synthetic stuff to make plants grow. Not so! I compare a plant’s reaction to most of this "stuff" to the reaction humans get from caffeine. It may provide a quick and temporary high, but staying "high" requires more and more "stuff." At some point, everything will start to come apart.

Materials found in nature are normally more effective than synthetic, widely advertised soil additives, and are often less expensive. Some should be blended into the soil, some go on top of the soil, some are sprayed — so follow directions. Here’s a brief description of some:

Organic fertilizer
These work fantastically, and don’t contain any filler material of questionable origin. Nor do organic fertilizers (there are several brands) have abnormally high levels of nitrogen or harmful salts, which probably will cause you to water your yard more often. Everything that’s in it is needed for healthy plant growth, in a natural form that plants can take in immediately. And an organic fertilizer will not harm children, pets or birds. (A "weed and feed" can’t say that).

Corn meal
This naturally stimulates beneficial soil microorganisms to control fungal diseases that might otherwise attack your plants. It also helps make nutrients more available to plants, acting as a mild fertilizer. Some people use it to control algae in ponds and other water features.
Corn gluten meal
Not to be confused with the above (on penalty of a brown garden), corn gluten meal is what’s called a pre-emergent, stopping seeds from germinating. For unwanted growth, it’s best applied about March 1 and again on June 1. Just avoid spreading it where "good" seeds are planted (it won’t damage growing plants at all).

Native soil
No matter how disgusting yours seems to be, leave it as is and improve it naturally. (Of course, remove large rocks and such. You can even cultivate it, but never get rid of it.) Native soil is what our native trees and flowers are genetically accustomed to growing in. If the soil is made too "good," our native plants may respond by not growing. Especially if you’re planting a tree, save the soil you dig up, and refill the hole with it, possibly mixing in a little organic matter. But never replace all the native soil with an artificially "improved" soil.

Compost
This is easily the best form of organic matter. (It’s the product of a natural process, such as takes place in a forest, where it could take decades.) However, compost can be made quickly at home or is sold at lots of places. It is full of microscopic beneficial organisms, loaded with nutrients and it is a good way to recycle things like old leaves, pruned-off branches, dead shrubs and grass clippings that could otherwise wind up in landfills. The end result is a bunch of water-conserving humus throughout your native soil.

Liquid soil microbes
Knowing that the vast majority of microscopic soil microorganisms are essential to the soil, it may just be that all or most of them were killed at some earlier time (in my own yard, a former owner did it via repeated use of chemical weed killer). You can re-introduce millions of these invisible organisms to your yard with a simple spraying of a liquid that contains them. There are several brand names.

Volcanic sand
This sand helps plants grow when mixed into your native soil, unlike concrete sand or the sand you can buy for a sandbox. Primarily, it helps preserve the moisture in the soil, so you have to water the yard less. It also makes nutrients, found naturally in all soils, more available to your plants — so you need to fertilize less. There are several kinds available, and several brand names. Often called "lava sand," it’s especially good at keeping your soil from drying out completely — a major challenge in Texas.

Texas green sand
A deposit that’s mined from ancient seabeds, it’s packed with organic matter and trace minerals. It also contains a high percentage of iron and is non-toxic — so is an excellent iron supplement for your plants.

Ironite
This is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used in agriculture for years. There is no man-made chemical process involved. Ironite does many things, among them is that it’s a mild fertilizer, stimulating root growth and fighting the natural deficiency of iron that is common in area soils. It also helps plants take up the nutrients that are found naturally in even the most unpromising dirt.

Zeolite
This is an underused material (sold under several brand names, such as Norit), especially for those of you who have used all sorts of chemicals in your yard but now want to go straight. Basically, it holds certain elements, releasing them to your plants with perfectly natural efficiency — or not releasing the unnecessary ones at all. It has proven detoxifying properties as well as an ability to deodorize.

Every one of these is sold under a variety of brand names by responsible nurseries and garden centers. Plus, they’re safer and more effective than the heavily advertised stuff. When you shop, I hope you’ll also avoid gimmicks like tree wrap, tree stakes and watering bags. These items can actually harm a newly planted plant and often are a waste of money.

Owen Yost is an area landscape architect specializing in designing low-maintenance landscapes while incorporating native plants with hardscape. He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Keep Denton Beautiful and the Native Plant Society of Texas. His Denton office is at 4516 Coyote Point; call 940-382-2099 or 940-383-9655 or e-mail him at Yost87@charter.net