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RE: [GWL]: Digest for Gardenwriters@topica.com, issue 324

At 11:10 AM 1/28/02 -0800, you wrote: 

And, at the risk of further sinning, I have to comment that I don't 
>
> think the issue concerning adding sand or gravel to clay soils is 
> that cut and dried. Adding grit, gravel and/or sand on its own without
> introducing proper drainage will do almost nothing to improve the conditions
> if the clay forms an impermeable table just a few inches below the surface. 


Convincing demonstration: Take one of those brick shaped car-washing sponges.
Put it in a container of water so that it becomes saturated. Lift it out of
the
water very carefully without squeezing and as horizontal as possible. At first
the water will flow out but shortly there will come a time when no more water
drips from the sponge and yet you can see that it is still saturated because
the bottom half is darker and if you tilt it slightly the water will again
flow
out. 

Soil behaves similarly and if you don't provide the 'suction' of a drain or a
free-draining sump the water will stay there. 

If you suspect that you have a clay barrier take look at your soil by
digging a
hole about eighteen inches deep so that you can see a cross section. If you
find unpleasant smells and orange or even bluish-grey clay you will have
stagnant water which will do roots no good and needs proper drainage.

Like Graham I have experienced the benefits of flocculation in improving heavy
clay soil texture by adding Lime or Gypsum. Adding Gypsum, Lime or Sulphur
depends upon your starting point. If your soil is approximately pH 4.5-5.5
then
it is too acid for most vegetables so you add Lime and you correct the acidity
and improve the texture. Gypsum will do the same for clay soil which is nearer
neutral i.e. between 6.5 and 7.5 while Sulphur will help with soils which are
in the higher pH values but not in my experience with any soil texture
improvement. pH values between say 7.5 and 8.0 will become  more acid by
adding
compost or well rotted manure. 

As for relying on an expert opinion so that it is essentially always
secondhand
information, it doesn't need to be, nor should it. You should always double
check the material of which you aren't sure from personal knowledge or
experience with other knowledgeable sources. Were there is divergence of
opinion then you can quote both sides of an argument and the sources and you
have controversy which will increase the magazine circulation much to the
editor's liking. 

As an aside may I make a plea for tighter editing of the emails when you are
replying to postings on the list. Perhaps it doesn't show up so clearly in a
straight reading of the emails as separate postings but in the digest you get
the original version A, followed by reply B with version A in full.
Followed by
C with A & B, then D with A, B & C and so on with the number of repetitions
depending upon the number of replies. That makes it quite easy to miss the
main
point of the individual replies. There were twenty-two mailings on a New Rant
for example.......





Regards,

Barry Webb,

Why not view Organic Gazette? <http:///>www.erutan.clara.co.uk 

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