I am no chemist, but I believe I have read that some conditions prevent some plants from taking up nutrients, even if they are plentiful. I have found that gardening experts quite often make generalisations that apply to their experience, but which may not cover very particular circumstances that one may encounter. My especial gripe is clay soil, as some may remember. If one more expert tells me clay is full of nutrients and good for roses I may give way to hysterics.
Chalky soils are commonly deficient in magnesium, light sandy soils can wash away minerals, alkaline clay soil/hard water can prevent take-up. Undoubtedly incorporating high quantities of organic matter improve those soils better than anything and help them retain minerals.
I am with you on the clay @Posy. If I didn’t amend my clay soil hugely I would be growing an extremely limited range of plants. The ‘work with the soil you have’ adherents seem to forget that a garden is an artificially created construct in the first place 🙄
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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I am with you on the clay @Posy. If I didn’t amend my clay soil hugely I would be growing an extremely limited range of plants. The ‘work with the soil you have’ adherents seem to forget that a garden is an artificially created construct in the first place 🙄