Re: CULT: Adding sand as soil amendment
- To: i*@egroups.com
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk] CULT: Adding sand as soil amendment
- From: B* J*
- Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 10:31:52 -0800 (PST)
Kitty
I use large amounts of sand to loosen the clay soil in
my area. I live in north/central Mississippi about 30
miles south of Walter Moores. My yard is flat and
does not drain very well. I first tried raised beds
with only one landscape timber as a border. After 2
frustrating years of dealing with rot, dug everything
up and made all beds 2 timbers high and added sand
with other amendments to the soil to improve drainage.
It has worked really well. I no longer have the top
of the ground turning green where the soil was too wet
for a long period of time.
I also use sand as a mulch cause here in the south we
can't afford to cover our rhizomes during the winter
months with straw or bark. Our winters are much to
warm and wet for this. When heaving occurs, I usually
lay a brick on the front tip of the rhizome to keep it
on the ground and cover the rest of it with sand to
protect the rhizome and and the roots from freezing.
I also use a lot of clorox in the beds and on the
rhizomes to cut down on mold. Our days are usually
warm and the night are cold. Perfect for bacteria to
grow in the iris beds.
The LA iris love it in my yard but the TB iris need a
little more time.
Billie Lynn Jones
Grenada, MS
North Mississippi Lakes Iris Society
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