Adding peat is not a permanent fix, and may cause problems if the soil dries
out. It's very difficult to wet peat moss once it has dried out. It's also a
non-renewable resource and has no life in it at all. It's good for potting
mixes, but not practical or effective for changing structure or texture of clay
soils.

On Tue, 10 Jun 2003 17:18:36 GMT, "Ali"
wrote:

How about some peat? We had some pretty bad spots in the back of the yard,
and after mixing a good bit of peat (as well as compost) it helped with the
heaviness and clumping.

Ali



"Carl e Roberts" wrote in message
...
15 yrs ago I added 24 cu yds of white sand to my yard (here in Memphis).
(The neighbors thot I was building a beach). We are on the downward side
of a slight slope and this sand definitely has helped with drainage and
has improved our soil overall. Recently this spring we tilled about
400sq. ft of new flowerbeds and I was amazed at the variety of soil
types in various locations of the yard. Some in full sun, partial shade,
the "upside" of our yard, and the "downside" all with different types of
soil. (I am going to take a small break from this sand issue to say for
the benefit of some-I have also added other "amendments" to the soil
such as lime,compost,organic matter,etc. ). Here (finally) is the issue:
The area where we have a small garden after tilling and planting this
spring is showing signs of hard packed soil. The sand is still mixed
with the clay but the clay still "hardpacks" after a good rain. I have
two compost piles "working" and intend this fall to incorporate large
quantities of organic matter (grassclippings/shredded newspaper) into
this garden spot. My question is this: I am wondering whether to add
more sand to help with the breakup of the clay or maybe gypsum is the
answer here- I am not very familiar with this product what exactly is
"gypsum" and how/when is this product added? where can gypsum be
purchased?