"Dan L" wrote in message
...
Billy wrote:
In article ,
Dan L wrote:

Why add sand?
I thought sand + clay = concrete.
I believe organic material alone will help modify the soil.

Sand + clay will lead to harder soil.
Sand + clay + organic material (rye, buckwheat) will lead to more
workable soil. Organic material must be renewed to maintain soil
fertility.

Hmmm...
Will you need more organic material with the sand?

Both clay and sand need organic matter, but sand needs far more organic
matter than clay because it naturally has less nutrients.

Are you saying sand+organic is better than organic alone as a soil
amendment?

I'd say that and for the following reason:
Clay soil is made of extremely fine particles and it is the lack of big
particles that makes clay so hard to work but those fine particles hold
nutrients well. Sand is made of big particles and it is the lack of fine
particles that makes sand so freedraining and so nutrient free.

The opposite of clay soil is sand. Add sand to clay and you improve the
clay, add clay to sand and you improve the clay.

So I can improve more soil by adding sand and stretching out my organic
material?

Yes. Try it. A friend and I both fell on this idea when my friend was at
the local rural/landscaping supplier and bemoaning the fact that her soil
was so clayey. On and on she moaned and our extremely laconic business
owner just finally drawled 'have you ever thought of adding sand' and walked
off. It makes sense if you think about it for a second.