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| My property has dark, black clay. It sticks to my shovel and has made my small projects in the front yard take 3 times longer than they should have.
My back yard is dying, and since I'm going to till up the old sod to install sprinklers anyway, I want to add something to aerate and make it easier to work with. Cost wise, sand seems like the better choice. I'm guessing I want about six inches of good soil, so I would have to add 3 cubic inches of sand when I'm tilling to get a 50/50 mix. Does this sound like a good, workable, healthy amount? Is it ok to just work the old dead sod into the mix? And is laying down sod just as good in the long run as seeding and waiting for the lawn to come in? Help! I need to see beautiful green grass again! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by texas-weed 7A (My Page) on Wed, Sep 21, 11 at 23:31
| Yes you can use sand, but that is only part of the story. First you have to use the right kind of sand. It needs to be very coarse irregular shape and angular. Additional you have to add enough. Second trick is adding organic matter like like compost or peat. I opt for peat because it does not break down and decay very fast. Note I said peat, not peat moss. So to do it right you need use a 50/50 by volume mix of coarse sand and organic matter. To that is to be mixed with the clay soil 50/50. So if you want say good soil to 6 inches of depth, remove 2 inches and discard it, the add 3 inches or mix, and then till in to mix to 6 inch depth. Oh my aching back thinking about it. |
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| Some people say they have clay when in fact it is not as bad as they think. I have clay and I know I have clay. Real bad acidic clay. I researched it in depth. I dug 3 foot holes. I reside in the North Carolina Triassic Basin which has veins of red, white, blue, gray and nearly black clay. The Triassic Basin contains mudstones and claystones that are the mainstay of the North Carolina brick industry. I can go 7 miles down the road to a plant nursery and they are not in the Triassic Basin and their soil is different. The North Carolina State University Horticulture Notes state that for my location, sand as an amendment should be avoided (any mixture less than 70% sand in 30% clay actually packs more densely that straight clay, resulting brick). I think before you go down the road of amending your soil that you should do some diligent research concerning your soil so you know with confidence you are taking the correct actions. Do the jar test. Have a soil test. And definitely contact your local AG Extension Agency regarding your soil type. I know builders can modify the soil when building homes and this may be your case but I would find out factually what your soil is like locally and what is recommended locally. Knowing your own soil is important. |
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