Which Clay Soil Amendment is Best? PART 2

Comments · 898

• SU

  @suzannestack7784 · 3 years ago

  I've had the best success with a mix of additives. Compost, manure, peat, perlite, vermiculite. Maintaining a fresh cut grass, plant cuttings, leaf mold mulch throughout the growing season. This transformed my clay concrete jungle into a gorgeous loamy soil over 2 seasons.

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• KE

  @KeoniKoa · 3 years ago

  Now THIS was the information I spent a better part of a year searching for. &nbsp;THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this video! &nbsp;The information was STELLAR! &nbsp;I&apos;m glad that cow manure was the &quot;top dog&quot; because I was definitely looking for more of a natural way to improve my expansive clay soil. &nbsp;But I was NOT surprised at all to see that the manure was the only amendment that had Earth worms.<br><br>Just FYI. &nbsp;Around early Summer in 2022 I had some left over hay that was spread on about 1,000 square feet or so of my property. &nbsp;I used a bulldozer to clear a little over 10 acres of mesquite trees and then used the bulldozer&apos;s rear rippers to sort of plow the severely compacted soil because the condition of the expansive clay soil was horrible on those 10+ acres. &nbsp;In the process, I inadvertently spread the hay around as I was trying to smooth the land. &nbsp;By the Fall/Winter of 2022 ryegrass started growing beautifully on about 2 acres of the land. &nbsp;Right now it&apos;s so thick and lush that I had a farmer neighbor ask if he could bale it for me and take half.<br><br>I pulled up a few handfuls of the ryegrass to the roots and that compacted, expansive clay soil has turned to black gold, and I did nothing but accidentally spread it while clearing trees.<br><br>It got me to thinking, after this guy bales this grass, I will experiment by using the remaining half to spread around other parts of my land and see if the same thing happens. &nbsp;If it does improve the soil and grows ryegrass in the Fall/Winter again, I think I&apos;m onto something.<br><br>I&apos;ll let anyone interested know what happens.<br><br>Take care, and thanks again for the video!

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• GD

  @gd-679 · 3 years ago

  Thanks for taking the time to do this experiment so you can help us to be a better gardener ❤

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• AL

  @Alpha1Farms · 3 years ago (edited)

  This is a really well done study! I have seen several similar tests done with different types of soil. &nbsp;My father taught me to garden and always said don’t make it complicated; there’s nothing better than composted animal manure, leaves and composted wood chips from cow stalls. &nbsp;This is what I’ve lived by because it’s what I know but as a see more of these tests and hear more of the actual science and life of soil, I am realizing these old timers’ experience was as good as Cornell University studies. &nbsp;I’ve come to the conclusion that all soil types will benefit immensely from just adding manure and readily available organic matter.

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• TH

  @thomspengler1635 · 3 years ago

  Hi Jenna, nice job on the amendments ’shootout!’ Yes, I agree, manure is the King (or Queen if you prefer) of amendments. One observation I noticed was that you added peat moss in a dry state; in my experience you will have greater success soaking peat/coir BEFORE applying. When dry it’s like a dry sponge that actually repels moisture. It actually takes weeks to normalize it’s moisture when used dry. Worms hate dry coir/peat because it will suck them dry. That could have affected the pepper’s growth. Simply soak it in a wheelbarrow, for hour or two, then dig in. The sand shown was pretty fine grade; sharp, coarse sand is a better way to go. Not to breakup soil, but a small sand bed/bucket is a great place to start bare-root cuttings.<br><br>Sounds you plan further testing; I’d encourage you to research “COF,” AKA complete organic fertilizer pioneered by Steve Solomon, the founder of Territorial Seed Company. It’s a fascinating and cost effective way to increase the verdant fertility of soil. One of the key components is bags of horse feed (e.g., alfalfa pellets, soy pellets or grass screening pellets). This increases fertility as well as providing organic material. This stuff is cheapest when you buy it in feed bags of 40-50 pounds at a Farm Store.<br><br>A quick example of the cost differential (both from same farm store):<br><br>Down to Earth Organic Alfalfa Meal Fertilizer in a 4# box = $12 = $3/lb.<br>50# sack of Alfalfa Meal = $20 = 40¢/lb <br>…FOR THE SAME EXACT THING!<br><br>Soybean pellets have 2-3X more nitrogen than alfalfa, but are more $$$, conversely<br>’grass screenings’ pellets are less $, with less % nitrogen. An advantage to the cheaper screenings is that since you use more, you’re automatically adding more organic material to the soil which combats the clay issue. Last fall I fertilized one 4x6’ bed with an entire 50# bag of screenings. It had all winter to break down &amp; feed worms. It was covered to prevent rain runoff. We’ll see how that does this year. My brother, an avid beer brewer has been dumping his brew grain leavings in his garden for years; I have never seen a garden with richer soil or better tilth than his! You could shovel his beds with your bare hands! So verdant!<br><br>If you have a good sized garden, it’s a no brainer. And it’s organic.<br><br>Another good source of bulk add-ins is an agricultural amendments company; we have an excellent one in PDX, https://www.concentratesnw.com, hopefully you can find one similar in your region. I make a trip there every spring as shipping costs are very high. Plus, I like to browse &amp; see what’s new. Google search: “agricultural amendments company nearest”. <br><br>Finally (whew), I encourage you to locate a mushroom farm close to you. They use straw that has been sanitized by steam, then bagged &amp; inoculated with mushroom spores. Eventually they peter out and need to be replaced. Every mushroom concern I’ve ever talked to is happy to have someone to cart it away. Sometimes they ask for an insignificant fee. Now these farmers are busy &amp; don’t want to be bothered by requests for a bag or two… but if you borrow a pickup truck &amp; carry away a load they’ll be friendly &amp; happy. Note that these are moist, leaky bags that you do not want to put in a nice car/van. One final bonus: if you moisten the bag you’ll likely get another flush or two of delicious, edible mushrooms (usually oyster mushrooms) before using them as compost.<br><br>I’ve turned into an avid organic gardener &amp; am now a coordinator for a community garden. If you’d like to see more of my tips &amp; tricks go to Google Groups and search for: “WVCGC Resouces” (Willamette Valley Community Garden Coordinator Resources). Then request access. Link is https://groups.google.com/g/wvcgc-resouces<br><br>If you made it this far, thanks &amp; good gardening to you &amp; yours!

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• KA

  @KateD-z3h · 3 years ago (edited)

  last year, 2022, i added sand to an area that was not draining, it got worse, i lost some plants, when i went to dig it was so hard…sand plus dirt/clay is how ancient homes were made! &nbsp; basically i made bricks….switched back to gypsum…but and going to buy some cow manure today! &nbsp;thanks for this huge effort!

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• PA

  @paultryba7228 · 2 years ago

  Ok what everyone wants to know<br><br>Amending the soil with cow manure is adding &nbsp;microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi this is why you are having such an amazing transformation in soil texture and fertility. &nbsp;These little guys release the nutrients already available in the soil. This is also why you have an abundance of earthworms which also help and creating better aeration. <br><br>It is best to think about inoculation rather than fertilization. To have the same result on large plots of land, they make a compost tea from the minors or a good rich compost and then inoculating the soils and you’ll have great results because these organisms reproduce and multiply. <br><br>When a soil is rich in the perfect balance of bacteria and fungi, it releases all the nutrients that are already available in the rocks and soil, creating a perfect environment or ecosystem for a plant to thrive. <br><br>You can easily see that this not only supports the root development of the plant, but also creates the environment that is perfect for earthworms to leave their castings and do their magic. The other thing that would happen through time is the roots actually leave holes and create carbon down in the soil, which creates a rich food source as well as pathways for root development and water penetration in the future , most people underestimate the benefits that plants themselves do at creating a better soil &nbsp; .<br><br>It is easy to see that an amendment that is not rich in microbial life does very little to change the ecosystem of the soil. <br><br>Life feeds life. <br><br>Anyone more interested in this subject? I would recommend checking out Dr. Elaine Ingram, who studies exclusively the life of the soil and is one of the top leading experts in this field.

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• DA

  @danielmansour7230 · 3 years ago (edited)

  I was looking &nbsp;forward to this one. I would make a couple notes: manure is full of a significant amount of bacteria and other microbes. These microbes along with the organic matter are likely the reason why the soil texture began to improve. This is likely similar to applying a good compost.

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• ME

  @meredethYT · 1 year ago

  You out in THE WORK for this video; the least I can do is leave a comment of gratitude. Thanks for sharing your experience ❤

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• JA

  @jagatgururampaljibhagwan1988 · 3 years ago

  In India earthworms are given the title of friend of the farmer due to its relevance in maintaining the quality of soil, they make it more porous and rich in other essential elements. In sandy soil they help it to improve moisture holding capacity. &nbsp;Your video has also proved the relevance of these tiny incredible creatures. I am very glad to know this fact through your video also. I appreciate your enthusiasm and hard work. I think all that camera work is also done by you yourself, you alone doing all that. 👍

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• ST

  @stephanygates6491 · 3 years ago (edited)

  My concern about cow manure is how it conveys whatever chemicals were on/in the grass/hay they ate. Horror stories abound of legumes and nightshades completely failing from “Grazon” contamination. Great work!

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• GA

  @garryrobinson5695 · 3 years ago

  I wish you would have did worm castings as one too. That’s what I use as a soil amendment for my garden and on my lawn after aerating and it results in really nice soil!

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