question for the soil scientists (thanks in advance!): we had our soil lab tested and it came back for higher than safe levels of arsenic. we really want to grow our own vegetables and have purchased tall raised beds so that annual veggies shouldn’t be able to reach the contaminated soil (70cm tall) just wondering if wood from fallen branches is safe to put into the bottom of the raised beds— or will the wood have picked up the arsenic too? i’ve heard that fruits are safe to eat from fruit trees in arsenic contaminated soil, but not the leaves. so i wonder where that leaves the wood?
thanks again for any insights and advice 🙏

how to lower ph soil temporarily/short term?

i’m growing ixora(santan) which apparently needs slightly acidic soil (5.5-6.5 ph). i already repotted it but the soil is neutral.

I bought elemental sulfur and ammonium sulfate already, and will work on a separate soil once I get them delivered. I know it takes months before it actually acidifies the soil, so what do i do for the mean time so my ixora is getting the right conditions?

Bishop Cap soil Mix
🌵 1-Gallon Soil Mix (16 Cups Total)

🪨 Inorganic (60% = 9.5–10 cups total)
• 8 cups pumice
• 4 cups lava rock OR crushed granite (¼” size)

👉 That gives you 12 cups mineral total (a slightly more mineral-heavy mix, which Bishop’s Cap loves).

🌱 Organic (40% = 6 cups total)
• 5 cups sifted cactus soil or potting soil
• 1 cup worm castings (optional but recommended)

⚖️** If You Want It Slightly Leaner (More Habitat Style**)
• 10 cups pumice
• 3 cups crushed limestone or granite
• 3 cups sifted cactus soil

Hi everyone!

I'm currently working on my master's research project, investigating different methods to prevent and control algae growth in greenhouse-grown bryophytes (Sphagnum mosses and brown mosses). My goal is to find treatments that inhibit algae growth without negatively affecting moss growth.

So far, I'm considering the following approaches:

1. Prevention – Substrate acidification: Lowering peat substrate pH using hydrochloric acid (HCl) or citric acid.
2. Prevention – Irrigation water acidification: Using citric acid to maintain a lower pH through regular watering, as I'm concerned about potential chloride accumulation and toxicity from repeated HCl applications. But is citric acid stable enough?
3. Prevention – Air circulation: Using fans to reduce conditions favorable to algae establishment, while avoiding excessive drying of the mosses.
4. Control – Established algae: Testing hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) or Aqua Bacta treatments to reduce existing algae growth.

My main question is: Which acid would you recommend for lowering and maintaining the pH of peat substrates and irrigation water without harming bryophytes or introducing unwanted chemical effects? (I can't have phosphorus or nitrogen). I'm particularly interested in the potential toxicity, stability, and long-term effects of HCl versus citric acid, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Any advice, scientific references, or experience with similar applications would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone. I’m reaching my final undergrad year at Montana State University. I’m currently in general environmental science (B.S) but I’m really loving all of the soil classes I’ve taken surrounding soil identification and remediation. I don’t have the craziest GPA (3.5) but I think that this is a field I’m really passionate about. How have other people gone about pursuing a masters regarding soil science? And how do you figure out where you want to go?

I've never seen a sieve analysis be such a straight line.

Been about 30 minutes.

Hello everyone, I need some help with this article; could you help me get it, please?

Title: Relevance of cross talk between root exudates, hormones, and root-associated microbes in developing sustainable phytoremediation strategies: a comprehensive review

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-025-01593-3

I have very sandy soil and it is very compacted after the 2 inches of sod. To give you an idea after 2 days of raining (1.5 inches) and sprinklers spraying another inch) I can only push a soil core or screwdriver 3 inches into the soil. The compacted soil is very hard like rock/concrete once you get past the sod layer.
I have heavily aerated 3 inch plugs 2 times a year for 3 years now and it isn’t helping break it up. I can’t get my roots to grow deep because of this. I have even done some minor horizontal air spading/fracking in the bad areas.

Is there anything else I can be doing to break this rock hard sand layer up?

I did the soil jar test, but the dark band on top of the sand is confusing me. im wondering if that is silt or darker sand? and what seems to be my soil type?

I'm a biology student conducting an undergrad thesis on Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH). I need technical advice in performing the laboratory component of this study from anyone who has expertise in soil research.

So, here's the summary of the procedure:

- collect samples and air-dry for 24 hours.

- sieve through 2.0 mm and 0.125 mm pore size to get 2g.

- place 2g soil in a centrifuge tube and add 10 mL 0.05% polysorbate-80 solution (used to unclump sample).

- centrifuge (1,800 rpm, 10 min)

- discard supernatant

- add 8 mL of prepared 1.20 SG sucrose solution (we used commercially available/market refined white sugar [I was wondering if this was okay]).

- vortex.

- centrifuge (1,800 rpm, 10 min).

- add prepared 1.30 SG sucrose solution to the brim until a meniscus forms.

- place coverslip and wait for eggs to adhere for 5 min.

- add 1 drop lugol's iodine on glass slide.

- place wet underside of coverslip facing down to the glass slide.

- view under microscope.

We performed a trial on this protocol before going to perform it on a larger sample. We observed the following:

- no helminths recovered in collected sample (site = household).

- bubbles found in specimen.

Will using a heavy application of prepared acid soil amendments (such as Espoma Holly-Tone, Dr. Earth Acid Lovers, etc.) make that soil unusable for corn, tomatoes etc. in following years?
(that is, without doing later pH re-adjustments)

Hello🐣

Im before making a career decision. My concerns about climate change led me to study organic farming in Denmark. The course was a bit of a disappointment and I felt my future prospects are limited so I am looking for my next step.

Im stuck between two paths. I feel interest to study something completely new to me and unrelated to the climate: phisiotherapy. But lately Ive been also feeling the urgency of climate action, so Im thinking to continue studying in the field of agriculture, but more on the science side. I came across the work of Elaine Ingham and the soil food web and I find it interesting, but I am unsure how could this knowledge be applied professionally in a job.

So my questions are:

- Does anyone have recommendations of universities in Europe where I can study soil biology? A distance learning option would be great, but optional (I am also open to anything related to fixing our effed up conventional agriculture)

- What could be my job opportunities if I would specialize on soil health? Unfortunately in my country I mostly see "advisor" job postings of fertilizer companies where the job is to push their product to farmers :s

- Are there any other career pathways where I could help to create a more climate resilient food system?

Thank you for any advice, have a great day:)