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Karns City PA

Going to be adding some ammendments here soon for 2015 patch prep and this year in the new patch I had a lot of clay ...should I spread gypsum before or after I spread my manure? Or does it matter?

9/24/2014 1:18:03 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

If I had to choose id do the gypsum first, but I don't think it matters. Till it all in good.

9/24/2014 3:14:46 PM

Eurasia

Clay? No gypsum!
Better use lime to aerate your soil.
But first we should think about your soil test.
Maybe dolomite would be the best.
But no gypsum please into clay!
If you want to break up layers with to much clay, you should also use a cover crop like sweet clover (not any clover) sown just now or in late winter with 1/2" of copost-spread after broadcast sowing.

9/24/2014 4:37:43 PM

Omaha, Ne.

sand and compost

9/24/2014 7:01:42 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I had 30 years working with soil from an erosion and engineering standpoint. Some people who think they have clay really have fine silt. Make a ball of soil moist enough so it will hold together. Squeeze it out between thumb and forefinger to male a ribbon. If the ribbon holds together it is clay, if it breaks apart it is silt. If you really have clay, don't add sand alone as it will make bricks. If you add a lot of sand and a lot of compost like Darren did you can improve the soil. Ask Darren for the proportions; you can't argue with his success. Gypsum is generally recommended for clay if you have high to neutral PH. Lime only if you have low ph. Dolomite helps with low PH and low magnesium. Sweet clover is better than other clovers because it is very deeply rooted. Tillage or groundhog radish also help. Soybeans also loosen up the soil, and if you take a plot out of production, roundup ready soybeans will also add lots of nitrogen and let you keep the weeds down.

9/24/2014 8:46:18 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

That is MAKE a ribbon. You can also go to the websoilsurvey on the NRCS.usda.gov website to look up your soil type and get more soil information.

9/24/2014 8:48:41 PM

Omaha, Ne.

I like the ribbon test or you can do the mr bill technique :)

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=203372

10/6/2014 8:31:28 PM

West Paris Me.

Too funny

10/6/2014 9:22:40 PM

Torrance, Ca.

What ever you did Darren,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, don't stop:)

10/6/2014 9:35:28 PM

Cedar Lake, IN.

Take the advice from Iowegian.

10/7/2014 8:48:24 AM