Description

Gypsum is soil amendment, conditioner and fertilizer that is made up of calcium and sulfate and aids in aeration and prevents soil compaction, improving the overall health of your plants. 

When fine clay particles interact with gypsum, they begin to clump and form into larger clay particles that make it easier for air, water and plant roots to push through. This is beneficial to soil as it improves its overall structure which helps plants stay firmly rooted and healthy. Poor soil structure is a major factor that leads to reduced crop yield.

Gypsum can also be used to raise the calcium content of soils without affecting the pH balance. With this being said, the soil improving benefits of gypsum tend to be short term. If your soil depends on it, you will need to apply gypsum every few months.

Our high grade natural gypsum is sourced and mined in the Northern Cape. An opencast mining operation technique is used to harvest the raw gypsum, followed by a series of crushing and screening steps to create a suitable and fine material.

Excellent Source of Calcium

• Calcium is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development, particularly for roots. It also acts as a balancing element, improving a plant’s ability to take in other essential nutrients, such as ammonium nitrogen.
• Because calcium cannot move from old to new plant tissues, a constant supply of soluble calcium is required for optimum plant health.
• In most areas, a calcium deficiency is the result of high levels of rainfall, acidic soil levels, or sometimes even both. Regions that receive more than 100 centimetres of rainfall per year are particularly prone to calcium deficiency.
• Gypsum, made up of 21% calcium and 17% sulfate, is one of the best sources of calcium for every plant in your garden. Many gardeners tend to rely on limestone to provide a rich source of calcium, however limestone is not water soluble and must come into contact with soil acids before the calcium ions are released to plant roots. Limestone also raises soil pH, which may not be needed or desirable.

Provides Essential Sulfur

• Plants require sulfur for protein synthesis. It is also an important component to nodule formation on legume roots and is responsible for the characteristic smell of onions and garlic.
• Adding gypsum to your garden is a great way to ensure your plants have sufficient sulfur. Unlike elemental sulfur that is unavailable to plants until it is oxidized by soil bacteria, the sulfate in gypsum is ready for plant absorption immediately.

Helps To Break Up Compacted Soil

• Tightly packed clay soils can be a problem in many gardens since water and other essential nutrients tend to puddle or run off the surface due to its density, rather than penetrate deep into the soil where plants can utilize them.
• Gypsum can help loosen clay soils and improve soil structure by transforming fine, tightly packed particles into larger clumps that make soil more porous, allowing air, water and nutrients to penetrate the soil more easily.
• This also helps to encourage better root development, resulting in stronger, healthier plants and larger yields.

Repairs damage from salt based(synthetic) fertilizers

• Winter salt and de-icing products can damage grass and plants in garden beds, especially when they are left in one area for too long. The best way to avoid damage from winter salt is to remove salt from affected areas as soon as possible.
• Excess salt can also be a problem in many coastal areas. When excess salt penetrates soil, plants absorb the salt through the roots. Because salt attracts water, excess salt in the soil can cause dehydration, robbing plant roots of essential water.
• The chloride in salt is also known to interfere with chlorophyll production and the process of photosynthesis, which can stunt plant growth or keep plants from producing flowers or leaves.
• Plants affected by excess salt will often appear brown and discolored. Applying gypsum to the soil in the affected area can help reverse the damage. The calcium sulfate combination in gypsum acts to replace the excess salt, healing the plants and encouraging new growth.

Prevents Crusting of Soil and Aids Seed Emergence

• Gypsum is a great product for decreasing and preventing crust formation of the surface of soil that forms as a result of rain drops, sprinkler irrigation and unstable soil.
• Preventing crust allows seeds to emerge more rapidly, resulting in an earlier harvest.
• When using gypsum seed emergence has been seen to increase seed emergence by 50 to 100 percent.

Mineral Analysis

How to use

5ml = 1 teaspoon | 15ml = 1 Tablespoon | 240ml = 1 Cup

Organic amendment

Soil Mix:

• Dosage:
• 5ml Gypsum per 1L substrate
• 150ml Gypsum per 30L substrate
• Frequency: When mixing/revitalizing a substrate
• Application: 
• Get a container or set a tarp on the ground
• Add the substrate, Gypsum and other organic soil amendments
• Mix well and water lightly
• Cover the soil to avoid pests and keep soil from drying out
• Let the soil sit for approx. 2 months before use

Organic beds:

• Add approximately 768g (2 cups) per 1m³ of soil

Clay Soils:

• Apply 1kg-2kg of gypsum per m², mixing well into the top 10-15cm of soil
• If soil is particularly clay-heavy, this procedure may need to be repeated
• Gypsum works on the clay by breaking it into small, more crumbly pieces that are easier to work with and improve water drainage

Compost:

• Use approximately 2kg per cubic meter (m³) of raw material.
• Activate with composting soil microbes: Byodyne Environoc 501.

1L of Gypsum (approx. 1.1kg)

Helpful tips: 

• The amount of gypsum you will need will mostly depend on how you plan to use it and the conditions of your soil.
• Dosages can vary depending on existing soil, frequency of application and environmental conditions.
• Gypsum is non-toxic and safe to use around people and pets. It works well throughout the garden and can be applied to lawns, in vegetable or flower gardens, and around trees and shrubs.

For placement of large orders contact us at: office@greenhouston.co.za