Enrich garden with Green Sand

Utah County Residents and Businesses: don’t forget the first annual Growing Together YARD SALE in May. Just in time for Mother’s day or Memorial Day, or Cinco de Mayo.Baskets, buckets, tincans and planters full of Orem special blend of garden flowers


Improving Soil with Greensand

Today I'm going to tell you about a wonderful organic product
that will improve your garden and potting soil.

Greensand is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from
ancient sea floor deposits that has been used as a fertilizer
since the 1700s. In the U.S. greensand is found mainly in
Texas, New Jersey and Arkansas. It is completely organic and
safe to handle. It will not harm insects, pets or people and
is so safe it can be scooped up in your hands. Greensand can
be applied to the garden any time, and unlike chemical fertilizers,
it will not burn your plants if applied too heavily.

Now here's the best part: Greensand will help loosen up clay
soils and help bind sandy soils. It also retains water and will
increase the soil's ability to hold moisture. When greensand is
mixed into potting soil, less watering will be required for your
potted plants. Greensand looks much like fine beach sand that
has been tinted green, but it is able to absorb ten times more
moisture than beach sand. The dark green color of greensand is
natural, and the when greensand is applied to the soil surface,
its dark color will help absorb sunlight and help warm the soil
in early spring.

At first glance, greensand may not look like much of a fertilizer.
It has an N-P-K rating of only 0-0-0.1 to 0-0-3 which means it
contains no nitrogen or phosphorus and only a slight amount of
potash. But it is the trace minerals present in greensand that
prove its worth. While plants need only tiny amounts of these
trace elements, they are essential to a plant's growth. Greensand
will provide calcium, manganese, and over thirty more trace
elements for your plants.

An application of greensand will improve the soil and thereby
improve the health of your plants. Greensand will make roses
bloom longer and it will make tomato plants produce tastier fruit.
If your garden soil is heavy with clay or sandy and weak, a dose
of greensand will make it more suitable for your plants.

Whether you buy Jersey greensand, Texas glittergreen greensand
or Arkansas greensand, always check the label for instructions
before applying this amendment to your garden. Application
rates can vary from 5 to 80 pounds per 100 square feet, depending
on the specific needs of the soil.

Greensand can be found at garden centers and in some gardening
catalogs. If your local garden center doesn't offer greensand,
ask them if they can order it in for you. Your garden will
appreciate it.

Have a great week!
-Mike McGroarty

(more personal stuff about Mike and Pam and pictures
of our grandkids)
http://www.freeplants.com/stuff.htm

P.S. The message board is here:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/519353/



McGroarty Enterprises Inc.
P.O. Box 338
Perry, Ohio 44081, USA