Re: bermudagrass wars

Clay does retain moisture it's true. And if you amend the bejeebers out
of it - you can plant darn near anything. My great big xeriscape herb
bed - I excavated down about 18", left half the clay, used the rest for
a berm. Added some compost, about 8 or ten bags of lava sand and 3 or 4
of greensand and the lavenders, rosemary, artemisia, salvia and thyme
seem quite happy. I also top dress it twice a year w/ lava sand to keep
it from "regressing".

So you can do a lot w/ it.  Great graphic Kitty -
hadn't seen that one before...

what's up w/ blue clay?  I think Andrea has that.


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
Reply-To: gardenchat@hort.net
Date:  Tue, 2 Sep 2003 18:34:09 -0500

>Well, I was just guessing.  Actually clay gets a bad rap.  It's not always
>that bad.  When someone says they have no clay - that's really not that
>good.  If you take a look at a soil pyramid
>http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/seeu/atlantic/images/Soil_pyramid.jpg
>clay plays a part in more than half the area.  Clay helps to retain moisture
>and improves cation exchange.  As regards the texture of the soil:
>"Texture refers to the composition of the strata according to the USDA soil
>pyramid, which classifies soils based on percentages of sand, clay and silt.
>A loam has roughly equal amounts of sand, silt and clay. A clayey silt is
>predominantly silt with some clay, but may also contain sand, etc."
>So if you have a nice loam soil, you do indeed have some clay.  The clay you
>reaaly don't want is blue.
>
>Kitty
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: <Cersgarden@aol.com>
>To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
>Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 5:14 PM
>Subject: Re: [CHAT] bermudagrass wars
>
>
>> In a message dated 9/2/03 1:15:46 AM, mhobertm@excite.com writes:
>>
>> << Hmmm....I bet clay soil would have done a better job of
>> holding on to that
>> tree. :+) >>
>>
>> Kitty, our tornado of 98' didn't recognize the fact our soils were clay.
>We
>> lost 9 trees in our garden, several of those uprooted but the home behind
>us
>> had an enormous ugly cottonwood and it was pulled up by the roots also.
>>     Ceres
>>
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--
Pam Evans
Kemp TX/zone 8A



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