[mushroom]

hi,

I notice that some of my topsoil surface is going green (looks like algae). It's not wet. The soil is clay-ish loam. Should I be worried about the algae? What does it represent?

[muntjac]

the soil is to damp and its in the shady area ..... let the light in to  your soul...........ooops soil   :roll:

[mushroom]

the soil is to damp and its in the shady area ..... let the light in to  your soul...........ooops soil   :roll:

It's in the middle of the plot! - unshaded. The soil itself is dry as it hasn't rained for a few days here. I was wondering in ammonium sulphate could do this... I'll post a photo if you think it will help.

[gobs]

I don't know about am su, but I would not worry about them. Every now and then they turn up, have not seen them causing any problems.

[mushroom]

thanks Gobs for the pointer - seems that it is a biological 'crust'. It seems to be following where I applied liquid feed, but in the sunshine (it is not present under already established plants which shade the ground)

[mushroom]

actually, it seems site-wide, the adjacent allotments are the same. prob nothing to do with fertilizer, more with soil conditions.

[muntjac]

do you need to water a lot or is it always damp ,, i cant see the chemical thing happening on all plots  and even then on one plot it wouldnt last long .... there is a micro moss that causes what looks like algael bloom on soil ..... possible?

[mushroom]

do you need to water a lot or is it always damp ,, i cant see the chemical thing happening on all plots  and even then on one plot it wouldnt last long .... there is a micro moss that causes what looks like algael bloom on soil ..... possible?

Possible... maybe now is when it blooms?

Right now, the soil is dry. - we haven't had rain for a week. Maybe it's a property of the soil??? - to form crusts that have algal blooms

[muntjac]

are you real close to the sea and the eind that comes of it ? this could be what the marsh has  here its like a salt bloom?

[mushroom]

are you real close to the sea and the eind that comes of it ? this could be what the marsh has  here its like a salt bloom?

dunno m8, the soil my plot is on is topsoil that was shipped in, i think 10-15 years ago.. a large drain runs underneath all the plots on my row (about 30 or so plots). The soil here is a clayish loam. In the rain, the top of it will get sodden, the wet will permeate only slowly. The soil feels rich.
The soil at the top of the site is poorer and more stony.

yes, the site is near the sea  - about 5 miles from the sea. because the soil has been replaced, it has never been marshland. The site is quite elevated - we are about 20 metres above sea level, considering the short distance from the sea. The site itself has not been marshland, historically, though it may have been in ancient times. A small stream runs alongside the site border, the bottom of my plot is along this border.

The ground isn't briny or saline from what I can see. Too much stuff grows here for it to be that. it is very fertile.

I'm thinking it is just algal bloom in fertile soil. maybe the soil is acidic? I've associated acidity with algae and stagnant soil for some reason.

time for me to get a pH kit!