Soil remediation with gypsum can help prevent soil cracking.
When soil in an area has too much clay or too much sand and gravel, certain plants may not grow well in it. Clay soils hold a lot of nutrients but do not drain well, and sandy soils have good drainage but may not absorb enough moisture or nutrients. The National Gardening Association explains that the ideal gardening soil has a texture with 40 percent sand, 40 percent silt and 20 percent clay particles. Luckily, several types of soil remediation can help improve nutrient content, drainage, aeration and soil texture.
Compost
Adding compost to any type of soil will improve it, according to the National Gardening Association. This type of soil remediation not only adds nutrients to the soil, but it also improves soil texture of both overly sandy and heavy clay soils. Compost releases its nutrients more slowly than commercial fertilizers, which means that it improves soil in a more long-term way than commercial fertilizers. The EPA also explains that compost can reduce erosion. To use compost for soil remediation, apply a thick layer of compost on top of the soil and mix it into the soil with a tiller or garden fork. Apply new compost each year in between crops, or add some compost into mulch used around the base of trees and other plants that stay in place for more than a year.
Commercial Fertilizers
Commercial fertilizers do not improve soil texture like compost does, but they do allow gardeners to add very specific amounts of nutrients to the soil. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture explains that fertilizers come with ratios explaining exactly how much nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium the fertilizer contains. Gardeners can buy at-home soil testing kits or have a local nursery or university test their soil. These test results in combination with knowledge of a plant's nutrient needs can guide gardeners in their fertilizer selection.
In general, gardeners and farmers should follow the directions that come with a fertilizer to prevent excess fertilizer from polluting water sources. Slow-release fertilizers also reduce polluted runoff. Most types of fertilizer work when sprinkled on top of the soil, mixed into the soil or mixed into the water that gardeners use to irrigate plants.
pH Remediation
The National Gardening Association explains that most plants grow best in soils with a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0. Soil testing kits will reveal the pH of a soil, and then gardeners can remediate the soil by either adding lime to raise the pH or adding sulfur to lower the pH.
Gypsum Addition
The mineral gypsum can help improve soil in multiple ways. According to Ohio State University, gypsum increases the calcium levels in soil which can help prevent soil from crusting when it dries out. All gypsum adds calcium and sulfur to the soil, and mined gypsum also adds magnesium. These nutrients help with plant growth. Another benefit of using gypsum to remediate soil is that gardeners can obtain recycled gypsum from old drywall and industrial plaster of Paris casts, which helps the environment by keeping material out of landfills and reducing the need for gypsum mining for agriculture.
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