Soil Amendments

Soil AmendmentsGreen Field Farms started the soil amendment program to help farmers produce a better quality, more shelf-stable product and to increase the nutritional value for the consumer. Mineralizing the soil by adding compost and manure will provide bacteria and fungi and a well-balanced food for the soil. Our soil amendment program helps farmers gain a better understanding of their soil to maximize the quality and health of their crops.

Experience proves that by feeding the soil we get more microbes and earthworms working for us in the soil. By working with naturally occurring bacteria we get healthier plants. Fruit from these plants will taste sweeter and have a longer shelf life.

The soil and living organisms in the soil should be fed with food rather than fertilizer. Humates, liquid fish, molasses, kelp, compost, rock powders, bacteria and others are food for soil life.

Green Field Farms analyzes each farmer’s soil sample report. Each field is tested separately to ensure the correct minerals are added based on the soil conditions. Soil amendments are custom mixed and bagged in small amounts to fit each farmer’s requirements. All of our blends are designed to supply the needed minerals and enhance life in the soil. The end result is a healthier plant that is naturally disease resistant and will provide a more delicious fruit.

The natural minerals and plant food we use are listed below.


Calcium has the ability to pry clay particles apart in the soil and help loosen compaction. Plants, as well as humans and livestock, need a steady supply of calcium to maintain good health. Many other minerals react to calcium to create the correct chemistry. Hi-Cal Lime is the most common solution to correct major imbalances.


Phosphorus is needed for root establishment and to carry food from the roots up into the plants. The best sources are manure, compost, or soft rock phosphate. The soft rock phosphate, mined in Florida, is actually clay that is 20% phosphorus, 21% calcium, and 21% silica. Only 3% of the phosphorus is in plant usable form when applied to the soil. Soil life will convert it into plant usable form as needed by the crop. Rock Phosphate contains small amounts of trace elements. Silica, when broken down, is a glue-like substance that helps prevent other nutrients from leaking away.


Nitrogen is the most abundant element on earth and is needed by all plants. A biologically active soil supplies most of its own nitrogen. Good sources of supplemental nitrogen are manure, compost, and liquid fish.


Sulfur is needed to help utilize nitrogen and to make true protein.


Plants need magnesium to produce chlorophyll. Excess magnesium can cause soil compaction and reduce its availability to plants. Epsom salt or Sol-Po-Mag are usually sufficient sources of magnesium. Hi-Mag Lime is used when large amounts are needed.


Potassium supplies most of the bulk of plants; the thickness of leaves and stalks, fruit set, and fruit size. Crops with a healthy food web in the soil can extract up to 95% of their needs from the atmosphere. Too much potassium, nitrogen, or phosphorus will replace calcium in plants and make them more prone to disease. Good sources of potassium are manure, compost, wood ashes, Sol-Po-Mag, and Potassium Sulfate.


Kelp is a seaweed harvested from the ocean. Kelp is an excellent source of trace elements, micro nutrients, enzymes, and hormones. Soil life will flourish if fed Kelp on a regular basis. Livestock will also benefit from free choice Kelp.


The oil in Liquid Fish is food for the fungi already present in the soil. Liquid Fish is a good source of nitrogen, natural bacteria, and fungi.


Molasses is a carbohydrate or protein that feeds bacteria and works as an additive to Liquid Fish and Kelp.


Humates are plant derived minerals that are mined from old vegetative deposits. Humates are an excellent source of carbon and other trace minerals and help roots better utilize other nutrients. Humates, combined with nitrogen, will stabilize the nitrogen in the soil. Humates mixed with kelp, compost, liquid fish, molasses, and crushed rock powders provide bountiful food for the growing plants. Humates are available in a concentrated form called Humic Acid. Humic Acid mixed with Fulvic Acid and added to different species of soil biology has produced some very effective foliar plant food.