Gardening what is organic matter

Meet the team. Shop plants rhsplants. Shopping with the RHS. RHS Christmas gifts. Help us achieve our goals Make a donation. Join the RHS today and support our charity Join now. Save to My scrapbook. Stack of farmyard manure. Quick facts. Jump to What is organic matter? Examples of organic matter Composts, manures and potting media Problems. What is organic matter? Examples of organic matter Manures and composts widely used by gardeners include: Animal manures: faeces, urine and bedding from farms and stables, that may be rotted or unrotted Bark chips: chipped bark and other uncomposted woody waste can deplete soil nitrogen so are best used as a mulch on the soil surface Cardboard: best composted before adding to the garden Coffee grounds : provides low levels of nutrients and can either be used in small quantities around plants or composted before adding to the garden.

It's effectiveness as a slug deterrent is unclear Fallen leaves: can deplete soil nitrogen if used without composting, either on their owns as leafmould or in with garden compost Garden compost : composted garden and household kitchen waste Green manures : not a good source of organic matter being largely water Kitchen waste: widely available but best composted before use Lawn mowings: widely available but best composted with a carbon rich material such as straw before use Leafmould : fallen leaves rotted on their own with no other additions Poultry or chicken manure : only limited quantities can be applied due its richness in nutrients.

Usually only available to farmers as potentially hazardous in garden situations Spent hops: waste product of brewing industry sometimes offered to urban gardeners Wool waste: traditional waste product from woollen industry, occasionally available.

Composts, manures and potting media Manures are strictly speaking derived from animal faeces, urine and bedding, typically straw but sometimes wood chips or hemp fibre. Problems Unfortunately some weedkillers used in manure and compost production can contaminate the end product causing severe damage to garden plants.

You may also like. Green manures. Mulches and mulching. Mushroom compost. Organic gardening. Organic matter: how to use in the garden. Peat-free growing media. Seaweed products. The type of bedding used with the animal can also affect the nutrient content.

Notes for Use: All manures are not created equal. Horse and cow manures are more mild, while chicken and sheep are highly concentrated. Manures contain many weed seeds and should be composted for at least 90 days before use.

Jessica also writes two weekly gardening columns for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and is co-owner of the website SavvyGardening. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Previous Article Next Article. Move the leaves to plant in spring and then re-apply them as mulch.

Grass clippings no herbicides can be used as a mulch around plants or added to your compost pile. Leave plant roots in the soil to decompose by cutting off the tops of annual plants when their season is over.

Mushroom compost Compost from mushroom farming is made from manures, wheat straw, corn cobs, feathermeal, peanut meal, peat moss, lime, etc. Once the mushrooms are harvested the compost they grew in is removed and sold. The approximate N-P-K analysis is 2. It can have high soluble salt levels and should be watered prior to planting to leach excess salts. Mycorrhizae Beneficial fungi that occur naturally in soil and grow symbiotically on plant roots ectomycorrhizae or in plant roots endomycorrhizae.

They extend the root system by sending out tiny filaments to forage for water and nutrients used by plants. They have been shown to also help plants fend off pathogens. Some crops, like blueberry, rely heavily on mycorrhizae for nutrient uptake. These fungi are prevalent in Maryland soils. Research does not show any benefit to garden plants when mycorrhizae are purchased and applied to soil. This is especially true when plant nutrients and soil moisture are plentiful, and also because commercial mixes contain a narrow subset of mycorrhizal species.

You can increase the populations of beneficial fungi through plant diversity especially native plants , reduced soil disturbance, and planting cover crops. Peat moss Is partially composted moss mined from prehistoric non-renewable bogs. Peat moss is light and porous, absorbing times its weight in water. Contains little nutrient value, but has a high nutrient-holding capacity. More sustainable options like compost and pine bark fines should be substituted when possible.

Pine bark fines Finely shredded pine bark product that retains moisture. Sometimes a component of soilless growing media. It can be incorporated into annual and perennial beds. Very acidic, so watch soil pH levels if large quantities are used.

Use only coarse builder's sand, not play sand. Adding organic matter, not sand, on a yearly basis is the key to improving clayey soils. Sawdust Only well-decayed sawdust should be incorporated into the soil. Fresh sawdust can burn plant roots and "tie up" nitrogen as it decomposes. Soil microbes that break down the high-carbon sawdust need nitrogen and can access available nitrogen more easily than plant roots. Good for mulching blueberry beds. Topsoil There are no quality standards for topsoil and it is not a regulated product in Maryland.

If you plan to buy topsoil in bulk, go to a reputable nursery or topsoil dealer and ask for soil test results and information on the origin of the soil, on-site mixing, and storage practices. Examine the soil before purchase or delivery. Topsoil should be dark and crumbly with an earthy smell. Do not purchase soil that is very high in sand or clay, foul-smelling, or has grayish mottling or a chalky, sticky, or rough texture.

The bags of "organic soil" you may see for sale typically don't contain topsoil i. These products contain various combinations of wood waste, bark fines, compost, peat moss, and other organic materials. For liming purposes, two pounds of wood ash is equivalent to approximately one pound of calcitic limestone or dolomitic limestone. Use ashes based on soil test results and don't exceed 20 lbs. Apply wood ashes in the fall or winter.

Dispose of excess ashes in the trash, not the compost bin. Worm castings Worm 'poop' produced by red wiggler Eisenia fetida and other earthworms that is rich in nutrients and microbes. Commercial castings are produced by vermicompost businesses that use worms to convert organic materials into compost in a controlled environment. Vermicompost is a combination of worm castings and partially decomposed organic materials.

You can produce your own vermicompost in a homemade or purchased bin.