1. Healthy Soil with Abundant Microorganisms, Good Humus and Tilth
2. Vigorous Native Plant Establishment and Growth
3. Soil Stabilization

Plus, Green Report: Erosion Control on Horseshoe Bend Hill, Idaho

"Most failures of plants to grow vigorously can be traced to improper management of the soil."

Fertilizing Plants vs. Improving Soil
Fertilizing Plants vs. Improving Soil The most important features of soil are the size of its rock particles and oxygen and moisture. The basic nutrients plants require are minerals present naturally in rock particles. Any shortage of nutrients limits plant growth. However, there is a considerable difference between fertilizing plants and improving soil.

Fertilizing is a short-term effort, that must be repeated constantly, made to get plants to respond rapidly. Improving soil addresses the self-sustaining health of plants, making soil sufficiently rich that eventually plants get all the nutrients they need in a natural and sustained manner.

Clearly, soil improvement makes more sense and is more cost efficient for a successful, long-lived reclamation effort. To improve the soil, look to...

Microorganisms, Humus and Tilth
Microorganisms (soil bacteria) are the most important component of any soil. They dissolve rock particles and release nutrients to the plants through decomposition. The microorganisms release carbon dioxide gas into the film of water surrounding soil particles, making the water slightly acid. This causes it to react with the rock particles and dissolve them, providing a slow, steady release of nutrients.

All microorganisms decompose decayed vegetation or other microorganisms. The decayed vegetation, called humus, is the basis for soil life. Without humus, we get no naturally formed nitrogen, and plants become weak and more susceptible to insect attack. Humus has other beneficial effects besides feeding soil microorganisms. It mechanically loosens the soil itself and creates a texture called good tilth.

When soil has good tilth, it is soft, porous and easy to work and crumbles easily into fine pieces. Water penetrates the soil better and the soil also holds more water.

Tilth prevents the formation of hard crusts on the soil's surface. It allows plants to put out larger root systems easily. When there is lots of air in the soil, microorganisms flourish and speed mineral release. Good tilth allows delicate seedlings to get a good start. Focusing on the basics:

• Abundant Soil Microorganisms
• Improving Humus and Tilth

is the first step and the foundation for long-lived successful reclamation, and restoration of the soil ecosystem.

Why not just use Chemical Fertilizers to Improve Plant Growth?
Chemical fertilizers, typically low-cost, petroleum-based, are highly concentrated mineral compounds that dissolve rapidly into the soil and are immediately available as nutrients.

Unfortunately, using only chemicals for soil improvement results in a rapid loss of humus, the food source for soil microorganisms. These tiny creatures do more for soil than tons of chemicals ever could.

Nitrogen stimulates humus-consuming bacteria. Adding chemical fertilizers to the soil causes bacteria to consume two or three times the amount of humus it would ordinarily. Consuming soil humus does not help plants grow -- it simply "burns out" the soil. Once this has occurred, life level in the soil drops, new soil particles are not broken down as rapidly and the plants become dependent on chemicals.

A perceived benefit, but actually a liability, of chemical fertilizers is that they act quickly -- "instant green." The nutrient level in the soil shoots up, but then drops off after a few rains or irrigations wash the soluble chemicals out of the soil. The fertilization process must be repeated every four to six weeks, which is not feasible with reclamation projects. With organic-based products, the release is slow enough that one application usually provides nutrients throughout the growing season and longer.

In addition, this "quick release/quick depletion" character of chemical fertilizers is inappropriate for disturbed site reclamation because soluble nitrogen is depleted prior to seed germination.

Another word of caution: When the chemical approach is used without adding lots of humus, the soil loses its tilth rapidly as humus is quickly used up. The airless soil compacts and will not absorb or release water well, seeds do not germinate, root systems decrease and plants suffer more from drought and disease.

Nitrogen is the only vital plant nutrient that does not originate from rock particles, but through microorganisms in the soil. These microorganisms take nitrogen gas from the air and convert it into a mineralized form that all plants must have to manufacture their proteins. Any soil rich in microorganisms will be rich enough in nitrogen to produce good growth of plants, and plant disease is rarely a problem of soils rich in microorganisms.

Fertil-Fibers NutriMulch and Kiwi Power Organic Soil Treatment are the essential foundation for plant establishment on successful reclamation projects.

Fertil-Fibers and provides the long-term nutrient and energy source for soil microorganisms to flourish in their role of releasing nutrients for sustained plant growth

Kiwi Power is rich in soil bacteria and enzymes to restore soil's natural ecology. Its humic acid improves soil physical and chemical properties for better tilth. Organic wetting agents have been added to reduce water surface tension and improve soil moisture availability. For long-lived reclamation success, start right with Fertil-Fibers and Kiwi Power.

"Garbage in...Garbage out."

Don't Skimp on the Seed Mix!
Find a reputable, knowledgeable dealer in seeds to assist you in choosing the appropriate shrub/grass species and mix for:

1. The Site
2. The Purpose of the Vegetation

Follow their recommendations and make sure the seed they specify is exactly the seed you pay for and get -- a high percentage of seed which is weed free.

The only way to get a beautiful field of vibrantly colored wildflowers swaying in the breeze is to plant high quality seeds appropriate to the site.

"When soil's on the go, plants can't grow."

A final critical building block of successful reclamation is ensuring the stability of the seed bed during the early stages of plant establishment. Germinating seeds need protection from soil loss caused by wind and water erosion.

Where immediate soil stabilization is a concern, application of the environmentally-sensitive heavy-duty soil binder Atlas SoilLok will form a flexible, biodegradable three-dimensional porous membrane in the upper soil surface. Combined with Tackifibers for added structural integrity, and when applied in tandem with Kiwi Power and Fertil-Fibers, creates a highly tenacious nutritious bonded fiber membrane well-suited to establishing native plant growth on ecologically sensitive sites.

For Lighter Duty Soil Stabilization on sites with less than a 3:1 slope, and/or for seed/soil amendments stabilization on level surfaces, consider substituting Cliffhanger Tack (a bentonite-based tackifier fortified with polymer gelling agents) for the heavy-duty, liquid polymer dispersion Atlas SoilLok referenced above.

For further Information
Or to discuss your particular reclamation project, please call or email Quattro Environmental, Inc.

After prior revegetation attempts proved disappointing, the Idaho Transportation Dept. addressed the challenge with several materials from the Quattro Advantage product line--Kiwi Power Organic Soil Treatment, Fertil-Fibers, NutriMulch, and Cliffhanger Tack. CLICK HERE for the complete story.