January edition page 14 "...incorporate well-rotted garden waste, manure or mushroom compost - bulky materials that will add humus, a sticky material that helps to 'glue' soil particles together..."
I thought that any manure, peat, or composted material was humus, a little surprised at this term, I wiki'd it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus
Now I am really puzzled, both uses sems to be correct.
There is an agriculrtual term (which I read as also being horticultural), this matches my understanding.
There is also an earth sciences term, which seems to be what Steve/Emma were meaning.
Which is the "correct" gardening use of this word?
Or are both uses correct and interchangeable?
Definitions of Humus
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peter
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oldherbaceous
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Sorry Peter thats all too clever for an old country boy like me. 
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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peter
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Seedling, that is terrible, I did think of it last night but decided it was too bad a joke even for me. 
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Cider Boys
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Hello Peter
My understanding of humus is that if you take organic matter you can have either undecomposed organic matter or decomposed organic matter. It is the decomposed organic matter that is considered to be humus. Therefore if you dig in fragments of leaves, stems, roots, old turf and fresh strawy FYM you are adding organic matter to the soil but it is not until the soil micro-organisms have broken down this organic matter to a dark coloured soil like material can it be regarded as humus.
All the best
Barney
My understanding of humus is that if you take organic matter you can have either undecomposed organic matter or decomposed organic matter. It is the decomposed organic matter that is considered to be humus. Therefore if you dig in fragments of leaves, stems, roots, old turf and fresh strawy FYM you are adding organic matter to the soil but it is not until the soil micro-organisms have broken down this organic matter to a dark coloured soil like material can it be regarded as humus.
All the best
Barney
I agree with Barney. In soil science they use 2 terms - Organic Matter and Humus, but you might hear TV gardeners use them interchangably. It's not strictly correct and a bit confusing I think.
The compost gardeners dig in is referred to as organic matter because it is still decomposing. It releases nutrients as it rots, supports a vast number of soil organisms, helps to regulate soil water levels and its dark colour means soil warms up faster. All good.
After all the little soil beasties have finished with it, you are left with the remains which are waxes, gums and other indigestible bits. This is humus i.e. it won't rot any more and stays in the soil for decades. It gets mixed up with soil while passing through earthworms and the like, coats the soil grains and helps form a crumb texture. It also actively helps hold some plant nutrients in the soil making them available to plants - the main ones being Calcium, Magnesium and Potasium. Even better.
Sorry if you have lost the will to live now Peter, but hopefully that is a less techie explanation that is easier to fathom. In short, you dig it in and it does 2 different and important jobs for you over the short and long term. 3 jobs if you count the getting you fit with all the digging.
Sue
The compost gardeners dig in is referred to as organic matter because it is still decomposing. It releases nutrients as it rots, supports a vast number of soil organisms, helps to regulate soil water levels and its dark colour means soil warms up faster. All good.
After all the little soil beasties have finished with it, you are left with the remains which are waxes, gums and other indigestible bits. This is humus i.e. it won't rot any more and stays in the soil for decades. It gets mixed up with soil while passing through earthworms and the like, coats the soil grains and helps form a crumb texture. It also actively helps hold some plant nutrients in the soil making them available to plants - the main ones being Calcium, Magnesium and Potasium. Even better.
Sorry if you have lost the will to live now Peter, but hopefully that is a less techie explanation that is easier to fathom. In short, you dig it in and it does 2 different and important jobs for you over the short and long term. 3 jobs if you count the getting you fit with all the digging.
Sue
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peter
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Sue, the OH thinks I lost the will to live when I first got an allotment. 
Thank you for a concise and understandable explanation.
Thank you for a concise and understandable explanation.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
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