Sand to break up clay....
kaybradj
7 years ago
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Embothrium
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoThe Logician LLC
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Bermuda In Texas Question
Comments (7)Where do you live? Are there any brick factories nearby? Because there is darned little clay in Texas. There is a lot of red sand but it's red from the iron. Need to know where you live. NEVER TILL IN PREPARATION FOR GRASS. In 3 years that fluffy tilled soil will settle unevenly leaving you with a very bumpy surface. Do you have full sun? Because buffalo grass will be the first plant to die out in any shade. There is one variety of buffalo grass that I really like: Tech Turf by the Turffalo company outside of Lubbock. It was developed at Texas Tech and Turffalo. It is not slow growing and not slow spreading. It can be mowed at any height from 1/2 inch to 4 inches. It needs little water but it does need some. Here are a few pictures. This one shows it mowed at 3/4 inch (just mowed). This is the same lawn. Look back at the first pic. See the brick mailbox at the other side of the lot? This picture shows how the Tech Turf has thinned out in the shade of the mailbox. It gets only afternoon sun on that west side of the box. This shows Tech Turf mowed at 3 inches - well if they mowed it it would be 3 inches. This picture was taken right after school ended for the summer at a frat house. They fertilized before they left but left it unmowed. You can see how dense it gets. You can also see how it is trying to spread across the concrete. This stuff loves to spread. Tech Turf is more expensive to buy than hybrid bermuda sod, but bermuda requires much more fertilizer and care. The Tech Turf will never get any darker green than you see in these pictures. Hybrid bermuda gets much darker green, again, with all the fertilizer. All buffalo grass has the brown flowers and seed stalks. One of the huge advantages of Tech Turf over other buffalo varieties is that these seed and flower stalks grow at the same rate as the grass. Other varieties shoot these things up into the air making it look very shaggy a few days after you mow....See MoreUsing plants to break up clay soil
Comments (3)Deep rooted perennials: alfalfa, chicory, sunflower, dandelion, red and sweet clovers, grass family, comfrey, narrow leaved plantain, etc. If your looking for semi-wild fruit and nut trees, I recommend the following nurseries: http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/ http://www.reesevilleridgenursery.com/7.html http://trees-seeds.com/seeds.htm Rosa rugosa is very drought tolerant and deep rooted: http://www.highcountryroses.com/special.html http://www.springvalleyroses.com/catalog/frudagmar.html Hazelbert and hazelnut are very drought tolerant and deep rooted: http://www.badgersett.com/ One Green World has some interesting choices. Mulberry trees are probably my favorite semi-wild fruit tree. The list is endless. Here is a link that might be useful: GardenForNutrition...See MoreBreaking Up Clay Soil With Cover Crops
Comments (8)I planted a cover crop for my clay soil a few years ago but planted as calistoga suggests, in the fall to catch the rains. I planted an annual mix (not perennial!) of oat/cowpea/bean/vetch that I got at the local farm supply. When the plants had about half bloomed (and before setting seed -- important if you don't want them coming back next season), I cut it all and let it lay on the soil and eventually tilled it in. I don't know if I would till if I did it again as it does disturb the soil structure (not to mention those lovely earthworms). But my method worked for me -- it added a lot of organic matter to my soil inexpensively and without backbreaking labor. The only cost was time, which I could more easily afford....See Morehelp dealing with clay soil for apple trees
Comments (17)this is not an issue.. specific to fruit trees... its simply aobut how you plant things in clay ... its a general tree planting issue ... see link for a good primer.. which addresses such ... if you understand.. that the issue is the TRANSPLANTing itself ... then you will take a quantum leap in understanding ... and its all about water management.. until the tree settles itself in.. and gets ESTABLISHED... once that happens... the clay is irrelevant .... e.g. .....you can not dig a hole in non draining soil [do not skip the perk test .. not all clay is bad draining] .. amend it with water holding materials ... like peat and compost.. and then wonder why the roots rotted off ... and part of that involves roots needing air as much as moisture .... so the idea.. very simply ... is to put half the roots down in native soil .... and half above.. with a good draining soil above... so that the TRANSPLANT... can have a good soil to grow in above... while its sends its roots into the clay below .... which it can.. and which it will ... by the time it is ESTABLISHED .... hope that makes some sense ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link...See Morekaybradj
7 years agoEmbothrium
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agokaybradj
7 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agoEmbothrium
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLaurie (8A)
6 years ago
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