When is the best time to incorporate zeolite into existing trees? [Video]
The correct answer is: as soon as possible! Incorporating zeolite into existing trees does not, in fact, need to be done at any specific time. It can be done whenever conditions allow.
This is because zeolite does not provide any nutrients to the crop. All that is required is the ability to work the soil with it and suitable weather conditions for the task.
It therefore makes sense to do this in autumn and winter, as in most parts of Greece, due to the rain, the soil is looser, making the mixing process easier.
It is also important to incorporate zeolite before the start of the growing season. The aim is to allow the zeolite time to absorb water and nutrients into its pores. That way, when these are required by the surface root system, they will be available in abundance within it.
How does zeolite work when incorporated into the soil?
The answer to this question lies in the unique properties of this mineral.
Firstly, zeolite is highly porous. Clinoptilolite, for example, which is widely used in Greece, is considered one of the most microporous natural materials found in nature. This unique property makes zeolite an excellent water-retaining material.
Another important property of zeolite is that it is one of the few negatively charged substances found in nature. Zeolite therefore absorbs nutrients and trace elements, such as nitrogen and potassium, into its pores.
Its high cation exchange capacity (CEC) gives zeolite the unique ability to release, onto its surface, the elements it has adsorbed when required by the environment. In this way, it supplies crops with nutrients and trace elements when these are required by the root system. The rate at which this particular zeolite releases nutrients is also very important, as it ensures optimal nutrient management, which is essential for crops to develop properly.
Furthermore, once zeolite has been incorporated into the soil, it begins to purify it of heavy metals, toxins and free radicals. It also absorbs and permanently retains within itself compounds with a large molecular structure, usually derived from residues of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, which can hinder crop growth.
In short, on the one hand, zeolite helps to purify the environment – specifically the soil – and, on the other, it manages nutrients and water. In this way, it keeps the environment clean and manageable, thereby promoting the good health of the crop.
Watch the video below to see how we incorporate zeolite into existing olive trees.