"William W. Plummer" wrote:
Steveo wrote:
"William W. Plummer" wrote:
Steveo wrote:
(Dave) wrote:
"Srgnt Bilko" wrote in message
...

There is a "clay buster" avaailable but the name is not coming to
me right now. Somebody will come up with it - it's a common
solution - and
availble
at most garden centers around here.


Gypsum - that's the ticket !!


And what does it do to clay? Make it crumble easier?

Snake oil.

Do a google search. You'll find many credible references on the use
of gypsum.

Yes, as a calcium source. It does nothing to improve compacted clay
soil.

Google gypsum myth.

That article talks about Arizona soil problems. And, it is concerned
with sodium overload. The key quote from the article is: "In
situations such as this, applications of gypsum can provide a dramatic
improvement in returning the soil to its original condition. The calcium
present in gypsum actually displaces the sodium and allows it to be
leached deeper into the soil when accompanied by deep irrigation."

Read on..

A persistent myth is that gypsum alleviates compaction. Landschoot states
unequivocally that this is not the case. This misunderstanding may stem
from the fact that gypsum is useful for displacing sodium in sodic soils.
Sodium causes soil particles to disperse, hence destroying soil structure.
However, this isn't really an issue in the Northeast or any other regions
where rainfall is high enough to naturally leach the sodium out of the
soil. Rather, compacted soils in such areas tend to result from the usual
factors such as traffic and high clay content. Gypsum won't influence these
things, so it can't substitute for practices that relieve compaction such
as aeration.