Where I live (S. Central Tx) I have really black soil but its got a lot of
clay.In my flower beds I have worked in lots and lots of compost and sand and
mulch but what else can I put in it to make it looser? It is much better than
my yard but I have heard sand, I have heard gypsum and I have heard sulfur. The
soil is definetly not acid. What should I put in?

I haven't been online for a while but it was nice to see CHris Owens,
Madgardner,Gardengal and others names I have recognized forever. Is like coming
back to friends.

TIA
Judy zone 8B

Hi Judy,

If your soil is 'black', which would indicate to me that it is high in
organic material and 'loamy', then I don't see how it could have a lot of
clay as well. Nevertheless, continuing to add any organic material you can
is the way to go. By simply topdressing yearly with shredded leaves,
compost, grass clippings spread thinly, composted manure, etc., the organic
material will percolate down to an astonishing depth relatively quickly.

Dave

"JStubbs358" wrote in message
...
Where I live (S. Central Tx) I have really black soil but its got a lot of
clay.In my flower beds I have worked in lots and lots of compost and sand
and
mulch but what else can I put in it to make it looser? It is much better
than
my yard but I have heard sand, I have heard gypsum and I have heard
sulfur. The
soil is definetly not acid. What should I put in?

I haven't been online for a while but it was nice to see CHris Owens,
Madgardner,Gardengal and others names I have recognized forever. Is like
coming
back to friends.

TIA
Judy zone 8B

JStubbs358 wrote in message
...
Where I live (S. Central Tx) I have really black soil but its got a lot of
clay.In my flower beds I have worked in lots and lots of compost and sand
and
mulch but what else can I put in it to make it looser? It is much better
than
my yard but I have heard sand, I have heard gypsum and I have heard
sulfur. The
soil is definetly not acid. What should I put in?
I haven't been online for a while but it was nice to see CHris Owens,
Madgardner,Gardengal and others names I have recognized forever. Is like
coming
back to friends.
TIA
Judy zone 8B
Add limestone to it. Do not use burnt lime use plain old limestone, CaCO3.
Keep the pH between just above 7 while you continue to add mulch such as
grass clippings and such.

JStubbs358 wrote:

Where I live (S. Central Tx) I have really black soil but its got a lot of
clay.In my flower beds I have worked in lots and lots of compost and sand and
mulch but what else can I put in it to make it looser? It is much better than
my yard but I have heard sand, I have heard gypsum and I have heard sulfur. The
soil is definetly not acid. What should I put in?

I haven't been online for a while but it was nice to see CHris Owens,
Madgardner,Gardengal and others names I have recognized forever. Is like coming
back to friends.

TIA
Judy zone 8B

Thanks, Judy! What you need is compost, more compost, and
then some more compost. It took me six years, but I turned my
Maryland red clay garden beds into soil you could dig for 12" by
hand by tilling in compost and shredded paper twice a year. I'm
still working on the NYS clay and rock -- we're in the bed of an
old glacier -- seven years later; but, then, I went from 1/8 of
an acre to two; so, I hope I'll be forgiven for being a bit
dilatory. ;

Chris Owens




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

In article ,
says...
If your soil is 'black', which would indicate to me that it is high in
organic material and 'loamy', then I don't see how it could have a lot of
clay as well.


grinning Our soil is referred to as "Black Gumbo".
Cracks large enough to lose your favorite steer in the
dry season and slick and slimy enough to take up cross
country skiing in the wet season. Adding organic matter
is the best help for it.
http://froebuck.home.texas.net/toppage4.htm


--

http://home.comcast.net/~larflu/bludf2.jpg

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

In article kaZ9b.142347$0v4.10505073@bgtnsc04-
news.ops.worldnet.att.net, says...
Add limestone to it. Do not use burnt lime use plain old limestone, CaCO3.


The problem to adding the lime and gypson to black gumbo
is that the clay is calcium based to begin with rather
than sodium based as is around other parts of the
country.
--

http://home.comcast.net/~larflu/spid2.jpg

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

JStubbs358 wrote:

Where I live (S. Central Tx) I have really black soil but its got a lot of
clay.In my flower beds I have worked in lots and lots of compost and sand and
mulch but what else can I put in it to make it looser? It is much better than
my yard but I have heard sand, I have heard gypsum and I have heard sulfur. The
soil is definetly not acid. What should I put in?

I haven't been online for a while but it was nice to see CHris Owens,
Madgardner,Gardengal and others names I have recognized forever. Is like coming
back to friends.

TIA
Judy zone 8B

Thanks, Judy! What you need is compost, more compost, and
then some more compost. It took me six years, but I turned my
Maryland red clay garden beds into soil you could dig for 12" by
hand by tilling in compost and shredded paper twice a year. I'm
still working on the NYS clay and rock -- we're in the bed of an
old glacier -- seven years later; but, then, I went from 1/8 of
an acre to two; so, I hope I'll be forgiven for being a bit
dilatory. ;

Chris Owens


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

A most excellent description of aour soil and a great article you referred me
to. I will try the drainage test. and I will keep adding mulch and compost as I
have.
Thanks for all the replies!
Judy zpne 7b


grinning Our soil is referred to as "Black Gumbo".
Cracks large enough to lose your favorite steer in the
dry season and slick and slimy enough to take up cross
country skiing in the wet season. Adding organic matter
is the best help for it.
http://froebuck.home.texas.net/toppage4.htm


--

http://home.comcast.net/~larflu/bludf2.jpg

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

If your soil is 'black', which would indicate to me that it is high in
organic material and 'loamy', then I don't see how it could have a lot of
clay as well.

You cant really tell anything about the chemical properties of soil by
examining the physical properties. The color dosent matter, yet customers are
always asking for "that black dirt". The assumption that if something is dark
in color, then it must be good soil, is wrong. For the original poster, keep
adding compost and stay away from sand and gypsum, which cost alot and dont
really help.

Toad

Thanks for the link, very informative!

Dave

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article ,
says...
If your soil is 'black', which would indicate to me that it is high in
organic material and 'loamy', then I don't see how it could have a lot
of
clay as well.


grinning Our soil is referred to as "Black Gumbo".
Cracks large enough to lose your favorite steer in the
dry season and slick and slimy enough to take up cross
country skiing in the wet season. Adding organic matter
is the best help for it.
http://froebuck.home.texas.net/toppage4.htm


--

http://home.comcast.net/~larflu/bludf2.jpg

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

Where I live (S. Central Tx) I have really black soil but its got a lot of
clay.In my flower beds I have worked in lots and lots of compost and sand
and
mulch but what else can I put in it to make it looser? It is much better
than
my yard but I have heard sand, I have heard gypsum and I have heard
sulfur. The
soil is definetly not acid. What should I put in?

Judy -- Just keep adding compost and organic materials. For areas where
there are existing plantings (including lawn) you can add compost by
spreading it out thinly -- especially good for lawns as it will not choke it
out. For beds that's fine as well as things such as leaves, grass
clippings, and so forth. Worm droppings are a good addition (as well as the
worms that make 'em!) and you can always compost in a pile (believe it or
not, we do not have much on our compost pile here -- we tend to work it in
directly with plantings and/or filling out new planting areas).

To help get new plantings under way, just increase the size of your planting
hole and replace the more clay soil with a better balanced and amended soil.
For example, if you're planting a tree and need a 1.5 foot diameter hole,
dig it to 3 feet in diameter and add more of the good stuff.

Most folks looking to make their soil more favorable through natural means
will tell you -- it takes a while to get that rich soil the gardener adores.
In most cases, 5 or more years to REALLY get it there. I've been working on
different areas on my property, little at a time, and I've still got a LONG
way to go but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Hope this helps!

James

All of your replies were helpful. I will keep adding compost and mulching and
composting and mulching and composting and mulching and composting and mulching
and.... I was just hoping for something faster, sigh.
Judy zone 8b
who you will find out side composting and mulching

All of your replies were helpful. I will keep adding compost and mulching
and
composting and mulching and composting and mulching and composting and
mulching
and.... I was just hoping for something faster, sigh.

Chuckle Well, you COULD hire a bulldozer operator, take up the top 6-8
inches of soil, then hire a dump truck and a crew to bring in the rich soil
you want, and dump and spread it. That would take care of the vast majority
of plants.

who you will find out side composting and mulching

Come Judy, join us in the garden. We are all composting and mulching and
composting and mulching and pulling weeds and mulching and clearing debris
and composting and.... :P

James

I've been interested in everyone's comments about clay soil ever since we
moved to a heavy clay soil area, and until our Australian spring a couple of
months ago, had decided that I'd lose maybe half the tropical plants I'd
been nurturing at our previous residence - although they were mostly potted.
Stick them in the clay, and oops, looks like they just weren't gonna handle
winter/spring, etc.

However, in the interim, from the advice that you people have been offering,
I'd taken very good care of the drainage, and spring has taken care of the
growth, now I'm gonna use the weeds I've been saving and drying, as well as
the compost (better dug in, as previously commented) and also heaps of
newspaper.

My herb garden is showing the benefits of this already, and now I'm gonna
experiment with the rest of my garden beds.

Too bad I wanna use rock mulch, because I can't use that until I've
successfully taken care of what sits directly below the rocks!

But, thanks to all you EXTREMELY helpful people, I'm looking forward to
having an excellent garden within a year or so, "other things being equal"!

Casey
www.twistedirony.com


"JNJ" wrote in message
...
All of your replies were helpful. I will keep adding compost and
mulching
and
composting and mulching and composting and mulching and composting and
mulching
and.... I was just hoping for something faster, sigh.

Chuckle Well, you COULD hire a bulldozer operator, take up the top 6-8
inches of soil, then hire a dump truck and a crew to bring in the rich
soil
you want, and dump and spread it. That would take care of the vast
majority
of plants.

who you will find out side composting and mulching

Come Judy, join us in the garden. We are all composting and mulching and
composting and mulching and pulling weeds and mulching and clearing debris
and composting and.... :P

James