Pepper Joe, I just got and read your latest newletter. The one about snow.

In it, you mention that people with clay soil should add sand. You might want to research this a little more. I feel this recommendation is one of those that gets passed around as assumed gardening dogma, when in fact it is wrong.

Clay+sand= bricks. That's right, that's basically the recipe for bricks. Organic matter is actually not just for sandy soils, it also opens up loose soils. More importantly, the calcium to magnesium ratios and levels are the #1 thing to address. Clay soils can be opened up if the calcium is at the proper level. Clay soils are hard or tight when calcium is lacking or is at a level below magnesium.

When organic matter is added to clay, life is brought to the clay, and all the microscopic entities go to work breaking down that clay. The humus aggregates the clay and keeps it from packing tight. This process is much faster when the OM is blended into the clay versus just layering it on top. The biggest boost probably coming from the fact that oxygen is introduced into the soil when the ground is broken up to add the OM.

Here is an excerpt from a great article on soil prep:

 "While organic products help greatly in holding moisture, and somewhat in increasing drainage, something more is needed in poorly drained soils. My preference is a material called pea gravel or #78 washed stone. This small washed gravel is spread over the newly tilled bed to a depth of 1/2 inch. The material is then tilled or spaded into the bed to help create the ultimate in permanent aeration. There are a number of new materials on the market to serve similar purposes including chicken grit, isolite (very expensive), and my favorite Stalite. Stalite (marketed under the name "Perma-till" is an expanded (popped like popcorn) slate material which looks like pea gravel but each particle is filled with air space.

Many gardeners have tried to use sand to accomplish the same results of adding drainage, but often wound up with disastrous results. In a clay based soil, sand and clay particles tend to interlock, resulting in a soil with much worse drainage than before. Here in North Carolina, the combination of clay and sand has made us the national leader in brick production. Only when a sand/clay mix becomes more than 70% sand, does drainage improve. The only exception is very organic soils. In these soils, a coarse washed sand will benefit the mix.

Just something to consider, regards -Chris.

 Hey Chris,