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White Plains, NY

Is clay beneficial to the mix in the pumpkin patch? I'm adding clay to my sandy soil. If beneficial what percentage should be attempted?

Thank you,

9/21/2004 1:27:29 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Jim,

Best to sample the texture first so as to know for sure.

___clipped from a post I made last year___

Find a quart mason jar with a lid, like the ones used for canning. Fill it a little more than halfway with the soil you want to test. Physically remove any large bits of roots or leaves & such. Fill the rest of the jar with water and attach the lid tightly.

Shake the jar vigorously for a couple of minutes to fully separate and wet the soil. There should be absolutely no lumps of soil left when you are finished agitating it.

Once you know that the soil is fully dispersed in the solution, set the jar down and begin timing.

---After 45 seconds, mark a line on the side of the jar with a grease pencil or tape where the top of the layer of sand has settled in the jar.

---Next, put a mark at the top of the next layer after three hours have passed. This is your silt layer.

---After 24 hours, your clay will have settled out as well.

Measure the total depth of soil in the mason jar. Then measure the thickness of each of the three layers using your marks on the jar.

Calculate the percent of sand, silt and clay in your soil sample with the following procedure:

Divide the thickness of the sand layer by the total depth of the soil in the jar.

Follow the same instruction for both the silt and clay layers.

Multiply each of the three figures by 100, and you will have the percentages of sand, silt and clay in your sample.

___end clip_________________

Where you want tpo end up is a matter for some debate. LOL

see this link:

http://cmg.colostate.edu/cmg-factsheets/soil/s14-est-texture.pdf

9/21/2004 2:20:23 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Sandy soils need a certain amount of clay to help boost the CEC level. Direct your aim at a soil sample first to find your current CEC and try for something over 20 MEQ/100g after amendments are made. Generally the higher the CEC the higher the calcium the bigger the pumpkin. Adding OM helps this equation too. By also providing another nutrient storage space inside your patches. CEC can be boosted by other means as well. Vermiculite, Profile(calcined clay)and perlite are quick ways to raise CEC.

9/21/2004 3:00:55 PM

Utah

doesn't clay, sand and water make bricks ?

.... I thought the "solution" to sandy soil was OM ... and the "solution" to clay soil was OM ?

9/21/2004 3:43:56 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Jim,
Buried all my rock clay six feet deep in leaf mulch...now spend the rest of the time digging it back up and mixing back in...personal observation is that my best vegatative growth albeit weeds is on the fringe areas where there mix is better. Wherever the mix is solid OM the root structure is weak...also the worms tend to stay along the fringe because the center is still composting and extremely warm...would love some of that sand!!!!
good luck grow em Big!
Chuck

9/26/2004 9:07:01 AM