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Re[4]: Soil Amendments for clay soil

Kim writes:

>Wow!  You have sandy soil?  That's amazing.  I've never heard of
>anyone around here having sandy soil.  I have definitely got clay.
>The red kind that feels slippery when wet, doesn't drain well, and
>bakes to a rock hard surface in the summer.

I did the "soil test" where you mix up a bunch of soil and water
and let it sit overnight. The sand layer was huge and the clay
layer was very narrow. The loam wasn't so hot either. So I assume
I have mostly sandy with some organic material and only enough
clay to hold it all together. Claremont is known for it's huge
rocks and boulders in the soil, so our soil is probably much
different than yours in Laguna Hills, but I assumed that beach
areas would be sandy too....I guess the hills are like clay there.

>> I've been told to add gypsum to the soil, not because it's clay
>> or sand, but because it is calcium sulfate and it reduces the
>> pH of the soil to a more acid level, which most veggies prefer.

>Yes it is calcium, but I have been told by the soil scientist
>to add sulphur to the soil to reduce ph.  He specifically said that
>gypsum wouldn't do anything for my soil since I don't have salty
>soil.  Just curious, who told you your info?

The bag of gypsum says the main ingredient is calcium sulfate.
Sulfate is a form of sulphur, so adding gypsum to your soil adds
sulphur and therefore reduces soil pH.

>A suggestion that I got from the very technical people on the compost
>forum suggested that I try pumice.  It's sold at Orange County Farm
>Supply.  It doesn't break down like vermiculite, but it drastically
>improves soil structure.

Sorry, don't know anything about pumice, but it sounds interesting.
Shawn
swestaway@smtplink.coh.org
Claremont, Ca
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