Boost Your Harvest with Gypsum: Nature's Gift for Better Crops and Soil

August 24, 2023

Gypsum is a natural mineral that has a powdery form and is white in color. It doesn't have any smell or taste, and you can dissolve it in water. This mineral has been used by farmers for a very long time to make the soil better for growing crops.

Here are some good things that happen when you use gypsum in farming:

Stronger Soil: Gypsum makes the tiny pieces in the soil stick together. This makes the soil have more holes, which helps water and air move around. This is like making the soil a sponge that can soak up water and give it to the plants. It also stops the soil from washing away when it rains a lot.
Less Salt: Sometimes the soil has too much salt, which is not good for plants. Gypsum can help by swapping the salt with something else that's good for plants. This makes sure the soil isn't too salty.
Fixing Sour Soil: Imagine soil being too sour for plants to grow well. Gypsum can make the soil less sour and more friendly for plants. It's like giving the soil a medicine to feel better.
Water Soaks in Faster: When water falls on the soil, gypsum helps it sink in quickly. This stops water from running away and taking the soil with it. Plants then get more water to drink.
Special Food: Gypsum gives plants something they really need to be healthy. It's like a special food that helps plants make energy and fight off diseases.

You can put gypsum on your fields anytime, but the best time is when it's a bit wet, like during the fall or winter. How much you use depends on your soil and what you want to happen. Normally, using 2 to 4 tons of gypsum per acre is enough to make your soil better.

You can put gypsum on the soil by spreading it around, mixing it in, or plowing it in. Just make sure you spread it evenly so that the whole field gets the benefits.

Gypsum is a good way to make your soil better and grow more crops. But keep these things in mind too:

Gypsum doesn't work well in sandy soil.
Too much gypsum can harm plants.
Mixing gypsum with other things like lime or manure can make it work even better.
It's best to put gypsum before planting, but you can also use it later when the plants are growing.