I am not sure about your soil, and also how big of an area you are going to spread this over but yes I would put it on a garden. When my husband does a water change on his tanks we always pour it around the plants in the gardens out front. They love it. As far as the amount of sand, if you are spreading it out over a garden very thin I would not worry about having to much sand in your soil. If it would end up being several inches thick, then it might be to much. Sandy

Janice, I have used bagged "Composted Manure" for years. It is inexpensive and easy to use. I am sure it's not as good as say, kowalleka's horse manure from the barn (thanks, kowalleka. I am going to talk to my friend this week!), but it has been an excellent product for me. It definitely contains some sand, but as it mixes in with my heavy clay, that is a good thing. Last fall, I dug out some daffodil bulbs from the first bed I prepped here five years ago. The soil was so loose, I was able to plunge my hands into the soil, feel around, and bring the bulbs, uninjured right out. The bulbs were planted six inches deep. Was I gloating? Oh, yeah. :) This is just a guideline I use, but when I am digging a new bed, I add five pounds of composted manure, plus all the chopped leaves I can get my hands on to each square foot of bed space. A bag of the manure is about 40 pounds, so it covers eight square feet, and it costs $1.29 here in Mississippi. I think that's a fairly inexpensive way to go. There is also Black Kow, which gets very high marks for nutritive value. But, it costs three or four times more. I'd love to use it, but I like buying new plants too much. :) I have found a RELATIVELY easy way to prepare new beds in my heavy soil. It's highly possible that someone has an easier way, and I'd love to hear it, but this might help some of you that are still working on a method. My soil is so heavy and so dense, that I wait for at least four days after a rain to begin digging. Wet soil tends to clod up something awful, but even more, it's extremely heavy. I start by sharpening my shovel. Then I plunge it into the ground as far as I can get it with my feet. Then I stand on top of it and move the handle forward and backward while standing until I get it to go all the way in (about a foot). My neighbors call this Donna's shovel dance:) But, I'm too old to jump! Once it's in, I pull back on the shovel handle and let it break the earth. (I recommend Craftsman shovels. If you break the handle, they replace it for free. They know me by name at Sears.:) I move the shovel over and dance again. I cut a line across the bed, then move the shovel back about six inches and start the process over. I do NOT lift the dirt or turn it. It's too hard on my back. Once I have broken the dirt all over the bed (or in the section I'm working), I take my mini tiller to it and pulverize it. I rake the soil smooth. THEN I lay my soil amendments right over the top of the pulverized dirt: usually about four inches of composted manure and chopped leaves, more if I have it. If I don't have leaves (or home-made compost), I use bagged soil conditioner. If I have it, I also give a generous sprinkling of organic fertilizer/s (pelleted chicken manure, blood meal, green sand, etc.). I take a garden rake and rake this smoothly over the top. Then I use the tiller again. And rake it all smooth again. Ideally, I then cover the whole bed with pine straw and let it sit for a couple of weeks before planting. But sometimes, I plant directly into it. Either way, in a month, it's amazing how beautiful, soft, crumbly, and worm-filled the soil is. Is this alot of work? Yes! (It sure helps me control my weight, though.) Is it time consuming? Yes, but I don't try to do it all at once. I work two hours at a time 3 or 4 times a week (instead of joining a gym, you see.) If you stay with it, it's amazing how much you can accomplish. And the good news is, you only have to do this one time. As long as you tend the soil by digging some fresh compost, manure or other organic material in to every hole you plant, AND add mulch each year, the ground only gets better with time. One more note, there used to be a business in our town that sold top soil in bulk to contractors. It also carried something it called "organic mix". That stuff was pure gold. It seems like it was $250 for a small dump truck load, delivered. I went into mourning when they went out of business (It was a second job for the owner.). It would be worth checking your yellow pages for something like this if you are digging big beds. We built this house and when we were first getting started, this was the best way to go.

I have been gardening for years. But I am finding clay very different. You all have been so helpful. I am really glad I started this thread. I can't wait to put it all into action. Only shallow holes for now on and I will only add the compost to top layer right below and with the mulch ;or as the mulch. I have had a worm bin for years. Just a large Rubbermaid chest with holes drilled into sides. Had to buy compost recently though. Couldn't make enough. I am still surprised about what is being said about not putting compost into planting holes. I have heard many times how gardeners do this. It makes sense not to I guess. But could all those gardeners be so wrong?

I use bermuda grass and then whatever is growing in the pastures...which is virtually everything. I wouldn't use bermuda grass if it had formed seedheads. That batch would go into the compost pile so the heat of composting could sterilize the seeds. To prevent anything in the grass clippings OR the soil from sprouting and growing up through the mulch, lay down newspaper or cardboard and then pile on the mulch. If there is any wind, wet down the cardboard or newspaper as you lay it down so it won't blow away before you pile on the mulch. The newspaper or cardboard serves as a barrier. Weed seed beneath it cannot sprout because of the darkness and if it sprouts, it generally cannot penetrate the paper or cardboard. Weed seed on top of the cardboard or paper may sprout, but any plants that sprout in the mulch can't grow down through it and it is easy to pull them out of the mulch when you notice they've sprouted. As a bonus, earthworms adore newspaper and cardboard so having them on the ground attracts them to your soil and since they improve the soil, that's a plus. A couple of tips: 1) Never use any grass clippings from lawn treated with herbicides, including weed and feed fertilizers; 2) If the grass is holding a lot of moisture after it is cut, I leave it in the garden cart or wagon for a day or two and let it dry and then I spread them on the beds; 3) If you have cut tallish bermuda in humid, hot conditions (especially in late spring/early summer) and think chiggers might be lurking in there, spray yourself with an insect repellent before you spread the grass clippings. Then, after you're done, scrub yourself thoroughly to remove any that may be climbing around on you. I have chigger issues about once a year after spreading grass clippings DH has cut and it usually happens in late May or early June. 4) Be very picky about your grass clippings. If neighbors see and understand what you're doing and offer you theirs, make sure their lawns haven't been chemically-treated. 5) If you have an issue with snails, slugs, pill bugs or sow bugs be sure you leave a little open space (at least 1/4") between the mulch and plant stems so you can spot those little buggies and sluggies and kill them dead. (I just sprinkle Slug-Go Plus in that little open area so they can find something to eat. It is just a bonus that the 'something' they find to eat kills them.) Dawn