"Tony Pacc" wrote:

The previous owner made a flower bed of mostly clay soil,it has about 2"
mulch,is there any way I can improve this soil without removing all that
mulch,like putting manure on top of the mulch hoping it will work it's way
into the soil.Its a pretty large area if I have to remove all that mulch.

Hi Tony, there is nothing better than good organic compost to improve
clay soil. However there is one other soil additive, Calcium Sulfate, or
gypsum which will counteract the increase of sodium in clay soils caused
by agricultural irrigation. In high sodium clay soils, the application
of gypsum will free the sodium and loosen up the soil and increase
drainage. If you are reclaiming farm land in the SE USA, then this may
be helpful. In other places it is of little use and may even be harmful.
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