Clay Soil problems
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Clay Soil problems

In your email you mentioned how to improve clay soil. Can you tell me where do I find the answer, ebook or newsletter?

Doug says if you go to this website you're going to find a clay soil seminar with a ton of information posted and questions answered. :-) Note that it is being posted during March 09 so you may find more (or less) information there depending on whether the course is done or not. Sign up on the courses page to ask questions etc.

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Clay Soil problems

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Gypsum in my Clay
by: Mike

How about if I simply refer a soil sample to the county extension center & let them tell me, and stop the guessing?
cyberscriber
by: Anonymous

Clay soils pure enough to make a TerraCota Pot? ie, no soil,,just clay? Well add sand, gypsum, and lots and lots of organics (compost materials). Mix well, allow moisture and air into the mix and let nature take her course. Some clay is good (it holds nutrients), but too much is a tough row to grow.
more depressing experience
by: Anonymous

i also haven't had much luck mixing sand into the clay for drainage; all i end up with is gritty clay. tons and tons of compost is the only thing that seems to work.
gypsum revisited
by: Doug

You know when I was writing that pH adjustment note I was saying to myself that something was wrong - but couldn't put my finger on it. You're right - in that gypsum is calcium sulfate and won't alter pH. I was thinking about calcium carbonate (got the "ate" parts right but the important beginning parts wrong. Thanks for pointing this out.
gypsum revisited
by: Anonymous

As i understand it, based on searching the web a lot for remedies for my swampy clay backyard, gypsum is useful if what is holding the clay together is a surplus of sodium; the calcium in the gypsum replaces the sodium and allows the soil particles to become larger with larger space between them, enhancing drainage. However, this is only applicable to a minority of clays. Also, again as I understand it, lime would also add calcium, but raise the pH; gypsum raises the calcium without changing the pH.
clay and gypsum
by: Doug

Vicky - glad you're a professional and as such you probably understand that telling people to add gypsum is useless if their soil is already high in calcium. And telling people to "add something" that will change the pH of the soil without giving amounts (and you can't know amounts until you do soil tests) and without knowing the pH of the soil already is not good advice. Also sodium levels are critical if adding gypsum is going to work. Aluminum leaches faster, and the movement of phosphorus, copper and zinc in the soil are changed. Soils that are limestone based will not be changed by the addition of gyspum. You mention none of these things.

Blanket "add this or that" kind of recommendations are simply not helpful in this kind of situation with gypsum (one of those delightful little garden myths). This is the reason I referred folks to the seminar where we're going to be dealing with all these issues.
clay soil
by: vicky

I am not a "beginning gardener", as you suggested. I am a professional, familiar with soi tests. Gypsum is a necessary additive to break-up clay soils. It is not a chemical and is not harmful. Once the clay soil is corrected, gypsum does not have to be added at regular intervals, but it often takes 2 years to see results.
Do NOT add Gypsum Until You Know
by: Doug

Vicky - you've just made one of the mistakes often made by beginner gardeners. You want to add things (like gypsum) that may not do a darn thing for the soil. Why amendments such as gypsum may or may not work will be explained in the seminars.

Let me repeat - check out the seminar pages folks, there's going to be a ton of stuff up there over the next little while.
clay soil
by: vicky

To improve clay soil you need to till it up to loosen it then add in compost, sand, gypsum, turface. This will help break up the lay soil as well as improve the drainage and sweeten it.

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