Has anyone used greensand to loosen up clay soil? I have a garden with really heavy soil, and bought a couple of bags of greensand to mix in. Love to hear anyone's thoughts on it.
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I dumped play sand in different spots. It didn't help the drainage and after a couple of years, I had wet sticky sand in those areas.Has anyone used greensand to loosen up clay soil? I have a garden with really heavy soil, and bought a couple of bags of greensand to mix in. Love to hear anyone's thoughts on it.
Well, to be fair to Leon, he is talking about using Styrofoam beads in potting mix in his grow tubs. Not to be plowed into Mother Earth per se.I haven’t watched the videos, but mixing styrofoam into soil sounds like a downright horrifying idea, unless you’re looking to build a future superfund site.
Never heard of greensand. Most gardening people on YouTube videos that I have watched recommend breaking up clay soil with good, natural, organic compost material. It breaks up the soil while at the same time provides food for a living biome.Has anyone used greensand to loosen up clay soil? I have a garden with really heavy soil, and bought a couple of bags of greensand to mix in. Love to hear anyone's thoughts on it.
Then I guess I will use organic and not worry about the others...except I think I may need to buy some wood chips if I can't find any free ones. You all are teaching me a lot!Yes, wood chips and compost seem like a better option to keep the soil loose. There is some concern about using woodchips mixed into the top inches of the soil if you plan on planting into that soil. When wood chips break down, they rob the soil of nitrogen in the process in that immediate area. That is not good if you plan on growing something in that soil. But if you have the wood chips down in the bottom of the tub, you don't. It's the organic stuff you need to loosen up that clay soil.
If you use wood chips as deep bedding and if you put a chicken coop where you want a garden in 2 years, then the chickens will till, add nitrogen and you will continue to add organic to the soil by feeding the chickens. The worms and fertility will come in droves to your new garden plot.Then I guess I will use organic and not worry about the others...except I think I may need to buy some wood chips if I can't find any free ones. You all are teaching me a lot!
I live on a lake. My garden soil was mostly sand with very little worm life in it. I spent years tilling in leaves and grass clippings to add more organic material to the garden. My garden soil is much better now.It's strange. That soil is uphill from my other garden which is very sandy. The sandy soil doesn't have as many worms, not by a long shot. Last summer, I started seeing worms in the soil where I've been using piles (and piles, and piles) of leaves for mulch. So, progress.
It took me awhile to find free wood chips in my area. We have a county landfill where arborists dump their wood chips. They have to pay to dump their wood chips at the county landfill. However, if you want to get a pickup full of wood chips, you can go to the landfill and fill up your pickup bed or trailer for free. Nobody advertised free wood chips from the landfill, so I had to find out about it on my own.except I think I may need to buy some wood chips if I can't find any free ones.
Hey @gtaus...I guess in potting soil my only concern would be disposal. How do you get rid of styrofoam-polluted potting soil? I guess the landfill. I wouldn’t be TOO concerned with the styrofoam making a unhealthy for you or your plants.@Red-Stars-in-RI, Are you concerned that adding Styrofoam to a potting mix might lead to a toxic growing environment for the plants? I have not heard of that, but I would think Leon might have warned about it if he had that concern. I certainly do not want to add anything to my planters where I grow food that Dear Wife and I will be eating