Soil confusions!

Hmm.. I'll try one more jar and then I will abandon the 'soil inspector' I am becoming and concentrate on annual mulches and adding organic matter.

 

Had a thunk. If your soil is alkaline then obviously you do not want to add lime, but you can add Gypsum. This has the same effect as lime in 'clumping' the clay particles together, but does not affect the alkalinity. Cheapest source is old crushed up plasterboard.

 

That seems like a good option. I will look into it! Thank you very much.

(Does thunking have more impact than thinking? Is it like a mega-serious think?!! :hehe

 

Much more painful!

 

Well... my soil jar has given some interesting results.

My jar had 5% clay 65% silt 30% sand = silty loam

According to the results I have 'silty loam' soil - what this actually means to me is anyone's guess!!!

I'm trying to google it but with not much effect. I guess it is a question of adding organic matter every year to create a good soil. But things seems happy enough here, apart from the pieris which is now happily potted up in ericacious compost. Would mulching with the broken down forest bark do this over time?

 

Silt is what you get at the bottom of a lake. It is very fine particles of organic material and it does have the nasty habit of making a 'clumpy' soil. Having said that, my soil is a peaty silt and we get good growth on most things.
Still need to decide whether your soil is acid or alkaline though as silt can be either (though usually neutral).
Basically carry on with what you are doing, mulching will improve the soil.

 

Thank you so much Palustris, you've been a superstar :flwsml:

I have now tested my soil and it comes out somewhere between neutral and alkaline - so I guess that would be about 7.5

One thing I have noticed is that there are a lot of Magnolia Stilata's in bloom all of a sudden in near by gardens. I am a bit bemused as I thought they only thrived in acid soil.

 

As long as there is plenty of organic matter in the soil and good drainage they do not mind an alkaline soil.

 

Ah ha! I foresee buckets of grit and manure arriving soon!