Re: Digest Number 1915


Janet,
    Is your soil clay?   If so, you would be better off adding compost and bark mulch.   Around here adding sand can turn compact clay soil to cement.
                                                  Pat in Dallas  
  
----- Original Message -----
From: Janet
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 8:39 PM
To: iris-talk@yahoogroups.com; oneofcultivars@aol.com
Subject: Re: [iris-talk] Digest Number 1915
  
Bill,

I can't thank you enough for your precious advice.  Right now the soil still has snow and the bits that are showing are soggy.  If you had a contest for weeds and raspberries, I would win by a long shot.  I can't figure out why the weeds grow so well in comparison, but likely it is a pH thing too.  I thought pH was done by litmus (?) paper - I think that's what it was called.  That probably dates me.  I remember using it in chemistry way back when, but that could have been only for liquid solutions.   I will definitely be going to one of the better gardening stores in a couple weeks to get some supplies.

I suppose my question now is once I get the pH for the soil, if I want to grow MED, what elements in the soil would you recommend.  Our soil here is very dark, and when I've seen iris gardens from pictures it almost looks like sand.  My thoughts were once I tested the soil, I would add some peatmoss and sand.  Using peatmoss alone, I found does not necessarily make the soil break down as well as I'd lik.,  I was thinking with sand, it will assist with keeping the soil easier to till and for roots to take hold a little faster.  I figured both the peatmoss and sand have the ability to absorb enough  moisture so the soil doesn't clump up badly when the temperature rises quickly. I'm sure the change in temperature (-30 C to + 30C) has a bit to do with it.

Once again, I sincerely thank you for sharing your information with a neophyte like myself.  It means a great deal that you would assist me.

Janet



Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT




Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.  


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
FREE COLLEGE MONEY
CLICK HERE to search
600,000 scholarships!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/iZp8OC/4m7CAA/ySSFAA/2gGylB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 




Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index