Re: sandy soil

[Willow]

Hi Casey

how about buying some composted mulch to add to the soil? It'll stop it
blowing around, help it retain moisture so it doesn't become water repellant
& will gradually build the soil up. I'd suggest starting a compost heap asap
using lawn cuttings, leaf litter, veggie scraps etc Basically anything, bar
sticks, that comes out of your garden.

--
Wanda
aka Willow
The missing and definitely not to be taken seriously under any circumstances
garden gnome
http://www.2000cn.com.au/~willow

~~faeries are able to fly because they take themselves lightly~
Casey Herman > wrote in message
...
> Hi!
>
> I'm new to this group and gardening in general. We've just landscaped our
> new house, and replaced the clay that was originally there with a sandy
type
> of top soil containing chook poo. My problem is that this soil is so dry
> that the stuff blows everywhere on windy days. What's the best way to give
> the soil some "bulk" so that it will stay put? I've still got some of the
> original clay that we've removed.
>
> Regards,
>
> Casey Herman
> Melbourne
>
>

[Tazman]

"Casey Herman" > wrote in message
...
> Hi!
>
> I'm new to this group and gardening in general. We've just landscaped our
> new house, and replaced the clay that was originally there with a sandy
type
> of top soil containing chook poo. My problem is that this soil is so dry
> that the stuff blows everywhere on windy days. What's the best way to give
> the soil some "bulk" so that it will stay put? I've still got some of the
> original clay that we've removed.
>
> Regards,
>
> Casey Herman
> Melbourne
>

Hi Casey,

Well just having built a house in the sandy dust bowl called Western
Australia, we had the same problem.

Coming from a place like Tassie with the richest, darkest soil around, to a
big beach was a big shock.. never seen things like a sand storm in and out
of your house..

What we have just done is talked to our local tree lopper and bought a truck
load (5 ton) of tree mulch from him... Put down some dynamic lifter on the
sand first then spread the mulch over the gardens and sandy areas at about
6 - 10 inches thick.

Gave it a good water in and now all we get is some leaves blowing
around....Also get an added bonus of the smell of wet bark and leaves when
it rains or we put the sprinklers on... Kind of reminds me of good old
Tassie, hmmmmmm.

Since you have boosted the sandy soil with chook poo you wont need the
dynamic lifter ...


All I need to do now is figure out how to mulch the rest of WA and we would
have no more Sand problems in and out of the house :)

[Casey Herman]

G'day Tazman,

Thanks for your advice! I'll stick in a compost bin, and gonna stick in a
couple of rainwater tanks as well (ever the optimist?!) By the way, I used
to see dust storms quite regularly during "The Wet" (why do they call it
that as far south as Alice?) when I was a charter pilot in the Outback, and
there's an awful lot of mulch needed out there, as well as a decrease in
salinity, a decrease in the number of cattle per acre/sq. km..... etc. And
Tassie DOES have beautiful soil, the plant kingdom couldn't be so rich
otherwise!

Regards,

--
Casey Herman
BIZARRTE® digital imagery and TWISTED IRONY® metal sculpture & furniture
Melbourne, Australia
www.bizarrte.com.au


"Tazman" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Casey Herman" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi!
> >
> > I'm new to this group and gardening in general. We've just landscaped
our
> > new house, and replaced the clay that was originally there with a sandy
> type
> > of top soil containing chook poo. My problem is that this soil is so dry
> > that the stuff blows everywhere on windy days. What's the best way to
give
> > the soil some "bulk" so that it will stay put? I've still got some of
the
> > original clay that we've removed.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Casey Herman
> > Melbourne
> >
>
> Hi Casey,
>
> Well just having built a house in the sandy dust bowl called Western
> Australia, we had the same problem.
>
> Coming from a place like Tassie with the richest, darkest soil around, to
a
> big beach was a big shock.. never seen things like a sand storm in and out
> of your house..
>
> What we have just done is talked to our local tree lopper and bought a
truck
> load (5 ton) of tree mulch from him... Put down some dynamic lifter on the
> sand first then spread the mulch over the gardens and sandy areas at about
> 6 - 10 inches thick.
>
> Gave it a good water in and now all we get is some leaves blowing
> around....Also get an added bonus of the smell of wet bark and leaves when
> it rains or we put the sprinklers on... Kind of reminds me of good old
> Tassie, hmmmmmm.
>
> Since you have boosted the sandy soil with chook poo you wont need the
> dynamic lifter ...
>
>
> All I need to do now is figure out how to mulch the rest of WA and we
would
> have no more Sand problems in and out of the house :)
>
>

[Casey Herman]

Thanks Willow! I read something recently about the ratios of various goodies
in compost bins, and I'll have a look at that, because I was going to add
the mulch on top of the sandy soil after I'd mixed clay throughout .....
your idea sounds great!\

Regards,

Casey Herman
BIZARRTE® digital imagery and TWISTED IRONY® metal sculpture & furniture
Melbourne, Australia
www.bizarrte.com.au


"Willow" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Casey
>
> how about buying some composted mulch to add to the soil? It'll stop it
> blowing around, help it retain moisture so it doesn't become water
repellant
> & will gradually build the soil up. I'd suggest starting a compost heap
asap
> using lawn cuttings, leaf litter, veggie scraps etc Basically anything,
bar
> sticks, that comes out of your garden.
>
> --
> Wanda
> aka Willow
> The missing and definitely not to be taken seriously under any
circumstances
> garden gnome
> http://www.2000cn.com.au/~willow
>
> ~~faeries are able to fly because they take themselves lightly~
> Casey Herman > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi!
> >
> > I'm new to this group and gardening in general. We've just landscaped
our
> > new house, and replaced the clay that was originally there with a sandy
> type
> > of top soil containing chook poo. My problem is that this soil is so dry
> > that the stuff blows everywhere on windy days. What's the best way to
give
> > the soil some "bulk" so that it will stay put? I've still got some of
the
> > original clay that we've removed.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Casey Herman
> > Melbourne
> >
> >
>
>