Garden with Insight v1.0 Help: Bag contents group

Clay: Clay added to the soil promotes storage of water and reduces leaching of nutrients, but too much clay leads to waterlogging and root decay.

Silt: Adding silt to the soil can help reduce the leaching caused by sandy soils and can alleviate some of the waterlogging problems in clay soils (though a mix of the three particle sizes is best).

Sand: Adding sand to the soil can improve drainage so that soil does not become waterlogged, and sandy soils warm up more quickly in warm weather, but too much sand will cause excess leaching of nutrients.

Rocks: The percent of the soil in the material to be added taken up (by weight) by rocks, that is, particles larger than two millimeters in diameter.

Lime (CaC03 equivalent): Limestone deposits vary in their exact makeup (and effectiveness in raising pH), so 'lime' here means the amount of calcium carbonate this lime represents. The actual weight of the lime may differ because of different liming compounds and impurities.

Sulfur or equivalent: The amount of sulfur compound (or the equivalent effect) in the material to be added. Adding sulfur lowers the pH if it is too alkaline. Note that the pH lowering component of the simulation has not been well tested.

Organic matter: Organic matter (decomposed plant and animal residue) in the material to be added to the soil patch. Adding organic matter to the soil has many benefits, including the slow release of plant nutrients and the increase of soil pore spaces.

Flat residue: Flat residue is undecayed compost -- dead plant matter. Adding it to the soil improves the soil's water and nutrient holding capacity, encourages microbial activity, and makes nutrients slowly available to plants.
Mulch flat residue: Flat residue to be added to the soil mulch layer (above the soil surface proper). Mulch buffers soil temperatures and reduces evaporation, runoff and erosion.

Mulch fresh organic N: Fresh organic nitrogen in flat residue and live microbial biomass in the material to be added to the soil mulch layer (above the soil surface proper).

Mulch fresh organic P: Fresh organic phosphorus in flat residue and live microbial biomass in the material to be added to the soil mulch layer (above the soil surface proper).

Water content: Depth of water in the material to be added to the soil. The actual amount of water added is derived from the amount (mass) of material added by a simple relationship based on an assumed constant bag bulk density of 1.33.

N as nitrate: Nitrogen as nitrate (NO3-) ions in the material to be added to the soil patch. Nitrate is immediately available to plants, but leaches quickly from the soil during percolation, runoff, and lateral subsurface flow.

N as ammonia: Ammonia, or nitrogen in NH4 form, is volatile and thus easily lost to the atmosphere. It is not absorbed by plants, but aerobic soil bacteria convert it to nitrate (during nitrification) which can be absorbed.

N as fresh organic: Organic nitrogen in flat residue (dead plant matter) and in live microbial biomass in the material to be added to the soil patch.

N as active organic in humus: Nitrogen loosely bound in organic compounds in the humus material to be added to the soil patch.

N as stable organic in humus: Nitrogen tightly bound in organic compounds in the humus material to be added to the soil patch.

P as labile: The amount of labile phosphorus to be added to the soil patch. 'Labile' here means 'most readily available to plants'; dihydrogen phosphate (H2P04-) is the most readily absorbed inorganic P ion. The model does not distinguish between types of labile P.

P as fresh organic: Organic phosphorus in flat residue (dead plant matter) and in live microbial biomass in the material to be added to the soil patch.

P as organic in humus: Organic phosphorus in organic matter (humus) in the material to be added to the soil patch. Humus organic P is slowly converted to nitrate through mineralization by soil microbes and is a good long-term source of plant nutrients.

P as active mineral: Mineral phosphorus loosely bound in the material to be added to the soil patch. Mineral P is slowly made available (as labile P) through equilibrium flow and is a good long-term source of plant nutrients.

P as stable mineral: Mineral phosphorus tightly bound in the material to be added to the soil patch. Mineral P is slowly made available (as labile P) through equilibrium flow and is a good long-term source of plant nutrients.

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