Soil conditioning product and process

Abstract

A method of conditioning soil and an organic soil conditioner particularly useful in treating athletic fields derived by drying and grinding plants from the Plantago family. The soil conditioner is applied to the surface of tilled soil and thereafter worked into the soil, deep-watered, allowed to dry and packed. Time-released fertilizer may be included in the soil conditioner if desired.

We claim: 
     
       1. A .Iadd.conditioned soil .Iaddend.product .Iadd.comprising soil and dried and ground plants from the Plantago family, made by the process .Iaddend.for conditioning soils comprising . .the.!. .Iadd.mixing .Iaddend.dried and ground plants from the Plantago family .Iadd.with soil.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       2. The . .soil conditioner.!. .Iadd.product .Iaddend.of claim 1 wherein said plant is Plantago insularis. 
     
     
       3. . .The.!. .Iadd.A .Iaddend.method of treating soil for better water dispersion and retention comprising: (a) tilling the area to be treated;   (b) applying a surface layer of a soil conditioner comprising . .the.!. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.dried, ground plant of the Plantago family;   (c) tilling the conditioner into the soil;   (d) deep watering;   (e) allowing to dry; and   (f) packing the surface.   
     
     
       4. The method of treating the soil set forth in claim 3 further including application of a time-release fertilizer to the surface prior to tilling the conditioner into the soil. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3 wherein said soil conditioner comprises . .the.!. ground seed, plants and part of the stem of the species Plantago insularis. .Iadd. 
     
     
       6.  The conditioned soil product of claim 1 in which the soil comprises at least a portion of an athletic field. .Iaddend..Iadd.7. The conditioned soil product of claim 6 wherein the soil mixed with the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family comprises a layer of soil of about 2 to 4 inches in depth. .Iaddend..Iadd.8. The product of claim 1 wherein the process further includes the step of deep watering the mixed dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.9. The product of claim 8 wherein the process further includes the step of compacting the mixed dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and 
     
     
        soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.10.  The product of claim 1 wherein the process further includes the step of compacting the mixed dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.11. The product of claim 1 wherein the process of mixing the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family with the soil comprises the steps of: spreading the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family over the surface of an area containing the soil to be conditioned; and   working the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family into the soil to be conditioned. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. The product of claim 11 wherein the process further includes the step of compacting the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. The conditioned soil product of claim 11 comprising a layer of soil mixed with the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family of about 2 to 4 inches in depth. .Iaddend..Iadd.14. The conditioned soil product of claim 13 in which the soil comprises at least a portion of an athletic field. .Iaddend..Iadd.15. The conditioned soil product of claim 11 in which the soil comprises at least a portion of an athletic field. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. The product of claim 1 wherein the process further includes the step of deep watering the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. The product of claim 16 wherein the process further includes the step of compacting the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. The product of claim 17 wherein the step of compacting the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil is effected after the   
     
     
        deep watering step. .Iaddend..Iadd.19.  The product of claim 1 wherein the process step of mixing the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family with the soil comprises the step of uniformly dispersing the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family throughout the soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. A process for conditioning soil comprising mixing dried and ground plants from the Plantago family with the soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. The process of claim 20 further including the step of deep watering the mixture of dried and round plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. The process of claim 21 further including the step of compacting the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. The process of claim 20 further including the step of compacting the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. The process of claim 20 wherein the step of mixing the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family with the soil to be conditioned comprises the steps of: spreading the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family over the surface of an area containing the soil to be conditioned; and   working the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family into the soil to be conditioned. .Iadd.25. The process of claim 24 further including the step of deep watering the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.26. The process of claim 25 further including the step of compacting the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.27. The process of claim 26 further wherein the step of compacting the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil is effected after the deep watering step. .Iaddend..Iadd.28. The process of claim 24 further including the step of compacting the mixture of dried and ground plants from the Plantago family and soil. .Iaddend..Iadd.29. The process of claim 20 wherein the step of mixing the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family with the soil to be conditioned comprises the step of uniformly dispersing the dried and ground plants from the Plantago family throughout the soil. .Iaddend.