nooooo! clay

[Blaz3]

ok so ive found my plotfor this year, its a dence forest about 2 miles long by 300 meaters high with a track running through the top. That is used for horse rideing ( i only just found this out i dont have time to find a new plot ) the forest is very dence so its hard to see through and theres a small stream running through it, so i wont have water problems BUT i dug around down there and its very gray ( with a few spots of yellow ) but mostly gray clay type stuff i was wondering if i cant grow in this stuff. Could i dig say 3 foot deep holes filled with my own brought soil and would thy grow ok or would the roots outgrow the hole i dig ? thanks for the help its much needed

[twistpro420]

i asked the same question a lil while back. this might be able to help you
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...-question.html

[Chrnc]

nah man that thread dont really help with clay. clay is a pain in the ass and i have/had a problem with it now

[Stoney BaLoney]

Go with the holes dug in the ground, filled with your bought soil.

[twistpro420]

Originally Posted by Chrnc

nah man that thread dont really help with clay. clay is a pain in the ass and i have/had a problem with it now

i'm pretty sure it could help with alternative soils to use, instead of using clay

[Chrnc]

i understand that, but what if you have no other choice and you dig a hole and theres clay in front of your eyes?

[Blaz3]

Originally Posted by Chrnc

i understand that, but what if you have no other choice and you dig a hole and theres clay in front of your eyes?

thats what i need to know, it looks like the hole forest is clay ( im 99% sure it is clay its dark gray kind of like stuck together wet mud ) is that clay ?haha ALSO there is ALOT of greenery there i.e bush's , small green plants and thisle type plants and lots of tree's. cheers

[OldSkool1010]

The mineral fraction of a given soil consists of sand, silt, and clay particles. Clay particles are the smallest of the three, silt are intermediate in size, and sand, the largest. Clay particles, bound end to end and side to side in extensive planes, are stacked in a sandwich like matrix and held together by electrochemical forces. This plate-like stacking of horizontally arranged clay particles results in a large surface area. Because individual clay particles are negatively charged, they have the capacity to attract and hold onto, or adsorb, positively charged elements (called cations) such as ammonium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other trace elements. Clay soils are relatively fertile because of this capacity to adsorb these important plant nutrients. Conversely, the single, uncharged sand particles in sandy soils lack the capacity to adsorb cations and thus they contribute very little to soil fertility.



Add as much organic matter as deeply as possible. The application of organic matter to soil improves both structure and tilth, and contributes to improvements in overall soil health.
Organic matter builds soil in a couple of ways. First, the organic matter coats soil particles, physically separating clay particles and aggregates from each other. Second, and more important, microorganisms that degrade organic matter produce byproducts that bind individual clay particles together into aggregates. This reduces crusting, increases the rate of water infiltration, and reduces erosion and runoff.



Composts are great for a clay soil management plan. Because of the humified nature of compost and its low concentrations of oxidizable carbon and available nitrogen, compost is relatively resistant to further decomposition and additions of compost to the soil over time can increase the soil's organic carbon and humic matter content. Add compost to provide organic matter that will improve the physical properties of the soil.



IMO, all soil can be improved by adding composted manure. Composted cow manure is my favorite because in addition to the bullshit, it contains undigested feedstock, adding body to sandy soil.

Peat and sphagnum moss will help sandy soil retain moisture but should not be used too much with clay or silt soils without adding stuff to promote drainage.

Coconut Coir is (from what I have read) an excellent additive to soils that are compact and retain too much water. I believe this is going to be a great thing for guerrilla growers because it is light weight and very compact to transport.

[Chrnc]

this aint my thread but thanks OldSchool hah