An abandoned mine in the Southeastern U.S. struggled with barren areas and repeated seeding failures across 5 acres due to highly erodible, acidic soils with minimal organic matter. Using The 5 Fundamentals™ to Establishing Sustainable Vegetation, the site was reclaimed through soil testing, slope redesign, and a tailored agronomic plan featuring ProGanics® Biotic Soil Media™, Flexterra® HP-FGM®, NeutraLime™, JumpStart™ fast acting biostimulant and BioPrime® slow release biostimulant. The solution rapidly established dense, sustainable vegetation, protected the slope through tropical storm Colin’s 6 inches of rain, dramatically improved soil health and helped secure a full bond release in less than six months.
Key Points
- Abandoned Southeastern U.S. mine with acidic, highly erodible soils, less than 1 percent organic matter and repeated revegetation failures.
- Prescriptive solution followed The 5 Fundamentals, combining soil testing, slope redesign and a customized seed blend with ProGanics BSM, Flexterra HP-FGM, NeutraLime, JumpStart and BioPrime.
- Flexterra held soil in place during tropical storm Colin’s 6 inches of rain while ProGanics helped establish dense vegetation within weeks.
- Follow-up testing showed a five-fold increase in organic matter, 271 percent increase in soil respiration, and large gains in bacterial and fungal counts, supporting rapid bond release and permits for three additional sites.
