Turface to amend clay soil?
Andi C
7 years ago
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Andi C
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRelated Discussions
Clay soil eating up amendments
Comments (22)Anyone have experience with long term (say 10 years) soil amendment? Yes, but we have to define what kind of amendment we want ;) The organic matter gets 'eaten', not by the clay soil, but the organisms in that soil. That organic matter doesn't last long is actually a very good thing even though it feels like lots of work. The decomp of the OM leads to increased fertility as well as formation of humus which aids in keeping those tiny clay particles from sticking to each other. The OM break down also leads to improved tilth which is simply individual soil particles getting glued together to form larger particles by secretions from the soil critters as they do their thing. This improves drainage and enables more oxygen to reach into the soil and nourish roots. However, if despite all the advantages of using OM to improve soil qualities you still wish a more permanent way to improve drainage/aeration of the soil and reduce the rate it compacts/clumps etc. then you can use a product called Turface. It's a calcined clay product used for sports fields. Unlike the clay you have now, this is fired at high temps so it remains very stable and never becomes 'muck'. It's not like pebbles that have no internal porosity either, it's incredibly porous. A substitute would be calcined DE which is sold by Napa Auto Parts stores as 'Floor Dry'. You can read more about Turface here. Click on the tab at the top "Where to buy" to input your zip code and find a local source. It lasts, literally, forever....See MoreSoil amendments: clay soil, fully planted beds
Comments (16)My first garden was created 5 years ago...we took off the sod, amended with compost, tilled and planted and mulched. It was a nightmare. I probably needed 60 times more compost, and never could have afforded it. The following two years I hated working in the garden because it was such hard work with the clay and many plants didn't thrive. I replanted areas many times and each time I would add more compost/mulch, whatever I could get my hands on. I also added a soil conditioner that was very expensive but works like gypsum...breaks down clay. (Who knows, maybe it WAS gypsum with a bigger price tag.) It's 6 years later now and I have to tell you that the garden is just a delight to work in now. I plan to spread gypsum a couple of times each year and continue mulching the beds, but I'm sure I'll never have to do all that double-digging like I did before....just keep on piling on the stuff like everyone wrote above, and before you know it, your beds will be as you need them to be. I also highly recommend that you search out plants that LIKE clay, so that your plantings will be successful. I spent many, many dollars buying plants that needed more drainage than I had and would die...and I wondered why. Some of those plants might do ok for me now in the same garden, but I think it's important to plant things that actually LIKE the ground that they are in today. Good Luck!...See Moresoil amendment question [bad clay soils]
Comments (8)Whatever your "landscaper" used for "topsoil" was probably about 95 percent mineral (the sand, silt, clay part of soil) and 5 percent organic matter and what your soil really needed was organic matter. Whether cottonseed meal, or any other meal, would help would depend on the Soil Food Web and how active they were. Things like cottonseed meal need to be digested before the nutrients in them are available to plants and if the soil has little organic matter the SFW is not there to do that. First you need to look closely at that soil to determine what it needs and that requires a good reliable soil test for soil pH and major nutrient levels and balance. Then these simple soil tests may also be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. kimmq is kimmsr...See Moreamending clay soil- large scale
Comments (26)@sylwia, you wrote "the dips themselves are right around the house walls and all the rain water is pooling there to the point I have a little tiny pond there when spring rains come." I had this in a few spots, and I added several inches of wood chips to those areas - no more pools. And it's not that the water is pooling there 'under' the wood chips. I had to add another inch or so after it settled a bit, but that was only to top it up. Whether the chips are buffering the water or helping drainage, I don't really care - it works. Wood chips and the like are easy to source, cheap, and they work. If you're not trying to make it look like a football pitch or golf course lawn, you can choose plants that like that mixed environment. I don't fully understand all your plans but I think your plan to mix all the soil and clay and compost is more work than necessary. Add organic matter everywhere; add more and thicker layers including some 'soil' if you want where it's pooling; try to plant some staff (daikon radish?) that will put down deep roots. Wood chips, sawdust, compost, whatever can be laid on top and will still help. Yes, organic matter will decompose and settle and you will want to add more in future; I don't find that's a big deal....See More
Nil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoAndi C
7 years agoLindon Q (z8 TX-DFW)
7 years agoSo, it looks like we might be talking about different things here. : )
In your original post you mentioned "expansion/contraction", so I assumed that you meant the shrink/swell in the soil--which is a problem in a large area of Texas. I mean something like this: Watering your foundation
Instead, you're saying the grade along the house looks like this?
And you're wanting to correct the grade by filling in that low area, and you want that filled area to not shift too much from moisture? In that case, yes, you can correct the grade my mixing Turface in with plain fill dirt with, and the Turface will help the soil from compacting.
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Nil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)