Re: Adding Clay vs Bentonite to your garden to raise the CEC.

Bentonite is a binding agent used by feed companies when pelletizing animal
feed. It is basically the glue that holds the pellet together. Interesting
enough they also use bentonite in clumping cat litter - works wonders there.
In my opinion clay is something you likely would not purposely add to your
soil. I would think that to raise the CEC rating - organic matter would be
the better choice. But I may be wrong. I just do not like the
characteristics of a heavy clay soil as compared to a light fluffy, black
loam soil.

While it can be said that some of the best farm crops are grown on clay
soil, I think that is more of a factor of its ability to not dry out as fast
as lighter soils. Here in the Ottawa Valley there is a huge ridge of clay
deposited by the glaciers that grows some of the best corn in all of
Ontario. Numerous years I have noted on trips to southern Ontario and other
spots in Canada that the "Carp Valley Clay" always grew the best looking
corn. I would have to think though that had the black loam ground been
irrigated to make up for the water retention abilities of the clay ground
that there would likely not be any benefit to the clay soil.

In our sport where we do the work of mother nature and supply the water, I
would think that the clay soils would likely not hold any benefit. In
experience with pumpkins in clay patches I have found that they do not get
even close to the root system that one would get in a lighter fluffy - deep
loam. Heavy clay soils are also very "finicky" as far as when they can be
worked. There is a fine line between being too wet and too dry and crossing
that fine line seems to lead to frustration in my experience.

So I guess I am not a big supporter of clay. While some have had luck
growing pumpkins in the stuff I would venture a guess that the soil they are
referring to is not true "heavy clay" but maybe a clay loam. Real heavy clay
is basically the same consistency as what they make bricks out of or use in
pottery class.

Glenn

-----Original Message-----
From: Lubadub@aol.com <Lubadub@aol.com>
To: pumpkins@mallorn.com <pumpkins@mallorn.com>
Date: Sunday, December 19, 1999 8:55 AM
Subject: Adding Clay vs Bentonite to your garden to raise the CEC.


>Wayne:
>I thought about adding actual clay to my garden as there is almost none in
>the soil as is. My CEC is 23 and so I just went out and bought some humus.
I
>can deal with 40 pound bags of humus much easier than I can deal with clay
>even if it did come in bags in a powder form. Bentonite is something I am
>unfamiliar with. Where do you get it? What does it cost? Has anyone
actually
>tried it? What is the more long range effect of adding it? Is it stable?
>Humus is the final breakdown product of organic material. It is what is
left
>after the soil bacteria has done their thing. It continues to break down
but
>very slowly. Bentonite?
>Marv in Altoona
>
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