In case the link is ever broken, cut and paste the PDF file here: Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Horticulturist and Associate Professor, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University The Myth of Gypsum Magic âAdding gypsum to your yard or garden will improve soil tilth and plant healthâ The Myth Upon continued prodding from one of my university extension colleagues, I recently watched several episodes of a well-known gardening program on television. My kids joined me, alerted by my animated responses to the hostâs non-stop torrent of advice. Among many amazing discoveries I learned that by adding gypsum to my yard or garden I would improve my problem soils by changing the particle size and loosening compaction. Further searching on the web revealed that gypsum would also improve drainage, decrease acidity, and eliminate soil salts. Previously, I had heard of gypsum for use in soil reclamation projects, but not for a typical urban landscape. Since gypsum is simply calcium sulfate, could this chemical truly transform soil structure and serve as a fertilizer for yards and gardens? The Reality This myth falls into the category of agricultural practices misapplied to ornamental landscapes. Gypsum effectively changes the structure and fertility of heavy clay soils, especially those that are heavily weathered or subject to intensive crop production. Gypsum also improves sodic (saline) soils by removing sodium from the soil and replacing it with calcium. Therefore, one can see improvement in clay soil structure and fertility, and desalinization of sodium-rich soils, by using gypsum. What other effects will gypsum have on soil and plant health? There are a number of scientific studies on gypsum usage both in the literature and on websites. Briefly, researchers have found: ⢠Gypsum does not usually change soil acidity, though occasional reports of both increasing and decreasing pH exist; ⢠Gypsum can increase leaching of aluminum, which can detoxify soils but also contaminates nearby watersheds; ⢠Gypsum can increase leaching of iron and manganese, leading to deficiencies of these nutrients; ⢠Gypsum applied to acid soils can induce magnesium deficiency in plants on site; ⢠Gypsum applied to sandy soils can depress phosphorus, copper and zinc transport; ⢠Gypsum can have negative effects on mycorrhizal inoculation of roots, which may account for several reports of negative effects of gypsum on tree seedling establishment and survival; ⢠Gypsum is variable in its effects on mature trees; ⢠Gypsum will not improve fertility of acid or sandy soils; ⢠Gypsum will not improve water holding capacity of sandy soils; and ⢠Gypsumâs effects are short-lived (often a matter of months) With the exception of arid and coastal regions (where soil salts are high) and the southeastern United States (where heavy clay soils are common), gypsum amendment is just not necessary in non-agricultural areas. Urban soils are generally amalgamations of subsoils, native and non-native topsoils, and - in home landscapes - high levels of organic and non-organic chemical additives. They are also heavily compacted and layered (and gypsum does not work well on layered soils). In such landscapes, it is pointless to add yet more chemicals in the form of gypsum unless you need to increase soil calcium levels. This nutrient deficiency can be quickly identified by any soil testing laboratory for less than a bag of gypsum costs. (If you need to improve sulfur nutrition, itâs wiser to use ammonium sulfate). To reduce compaction and improve aeration in nearly any landscape, application of an organic mulch is more economically and environmentally sustainable. The Bottom Line ⢠Gypsum can improve heavy clay soil structure and remove sodium from saline soils ⢠Gypsum has no effect on soil fertility, structure, or pH of any other soil type ⢠Most urban soils are not improved by additional gypsum ⢠Before adding gypsum or any chemical to a landscape, have soil analysis performed to identify mineral deficiencies, toxicities, and soil character ⢠Adding gypsum to sandy or non-sodic soils is a waste of money, natural resources, and can have negative impacts on plant, soil, and ecosystem health For more information, please visit Dr. Chalker-Scottâs web page at http://www.theinformedgardener.com.

Yes - the bike rack/fence post support thingie would be on my side of the fence. Both sides look nice, designed to pretty much look the same on both sides. If it works if I can get down deep enough to sink the metal post it will be the perfect solution -stabilize the post AND give us secure place to lock bikes (bike thieves run rampant around here). If not - I wonder, what if I just expand the concrete slab that the post is sitting in, make it larger/wider? Right now its about 2 feet thick but only about a foot wide! I think if it was wider it wouldn't be so moveable. say about 2 x 2 feet square - or larger? Might frost heave up and down but oh well. The posts on either side of it (8 feet distance) are securely sunk down 42 inches. Re: what to use for metal fence post - thinking either black or galvanized iron pipe - 2 inches - attached to the fence via 90 degree elbow at the top and 1 or 2 T joints. Is a 2 inch pipe for plumbing going to be as strong and rigid as a galavanized fence post made specifically for that purpose? Or are they pretty much equivalent, just one is marketed for plumbing the other for fence posts? Those pipe fittings just screw on correct? No glue or welding required? Klem - the brackets you refer to I think are for wood attaching directly to the metal post. I don't think I can get the metal post right up close the wood one, not without drilling through the concrete and gravel that is directly below the wood post That's why I was thinking of having the metal post be 6 inches from the wood one and then attaching it 2 or 3 places via the pipe fittings/flanges. However if it would make for a significantly more secure and stable fence Im willing to give it a go! Ive invested so much time and effort into getting this fence right - what's a few more days, weeks, months. Maybe this will be done by 2016. THANKS ALL!

Well thanks for your help! I agree, plus the YouTube videos I watched made it look so easy. I actually took the metal locking bracket in back off and tried to use just the plastic end cap and gasket to thread onto the pipe. It made it worse, as I couldn't even begin the thread; I needed the plastic ball and metal rod inside the end cap as well. Plus you have to install with the metal rod as that blocks the hole in the end cap. Otherwise there would be a huge leak. So I put it back together and screwed it in as best I could. The end cap will not reach the last three or four threads and does not form a tight seal. That plastic ball is in the way, although it appears to be seated correctly. If I push down harder and try to thread it all the way, the end caps gets automatically pushed back to an unthreaded position. But if I don't push hard enough, it leaks. If I push hard on the end cap itself, away from the pipe, I can knock it right off its threads onto the ground. I put a bowl under the pipes in case it leaks a little. I might eventually reattach the sink stopper if I move out, or I just may leave the stopper lose and/or donate a sink strainer, as they are cheap. I don't know if everything fit properly when the pipes were first installed, whenever that was. They look newer. They may have gotten too shallow of an end cap, so it may not be my fault. I am just a tenant working with what was supplied. Here are pics: End cap and plastic gasket in it are unscrewed, Plastic ball is in position at the pipe: Ball blocks me from completely and tightly threading plastic end cap: This is the best threading job I could do. 3 or 4 threads are still exposed and it almost leaks:

So, to be clear, I wasn't really talking about the drywall - I was talking about the backer-board behind the tile. That should be 1/2" cement board or something similar. You won't be able to feel it, you will need a visual. If it's a bad install, two things that can happen: 1. There was no waterproofing and so the water seeps through the grout and such and into the backer board. 2. The backer board sits too far down on the tub, without an air-gap. And because of that it is wicking up water from the edge of the backerboard. You will only be able to determine that (without taking the tile off) by getting a visual of the back side of the backer board. If the bottom edge of the backerboard looks dark from moisture, it will have to be redone. ____________________ Since you say that the door is properly caulked, the other place I'd look is the junction between the tile and the tub. That appears to be grouted when it should have been caulked. Anywhere there is a change in plane it should be caulked, not grouted. To do a better job, fill the tub with water first so that there's weight in the tub before you caulk. Yes, water sitting on that tub/tile edge over time can cause moisture to wick horizontally through the grout and cause the issue you see on the drywall. Caulk the tub/tile joint to prevent water that sits there from being drawn into the grout.