# Adding sand to compacted clay?



## Rockinar (Jul 21, 2017)

Do you think if you aerating and topdressing with sand it would 1) Make things worse? 2)Make things better?

I have some small spots around my yard that is hard clay, it gets dry real easy and regular aeration does not seem to do anything to help. Thinking of aerating and filling the holes with sand or using the Pro Plugger to "aerate" and fills the holes with a mix of topsoil and sand.


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

Only good will come from adding sand, however you choose to do it.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

Rockinar said:


> Do you think if you aerating and topdressing with sand it would 1) Make things worse? 2)Make things better?
> 
> I have some small spots around my yard that is hard clay, it gets dry real easy and regular aeration does not seem to do anything to help. Thinking of aerating and filling the holes with sand or using the Pro Plugger to "aerate" and fills the holes with a mix of topsoil and sand.


Adding sand is a good idea because it does a great job at leveling your lawn. But sand has no nutrients whatsoever and will not change your soil composition. You will just have clay soil with sand in it. It won't drain water any better or keep moist but not too wet and soft like dirt should

BUT it will in not loosen compacted clay. This unfortunately seems logical but has been proven wrong by several soil experts.

To help with compacted clay you need to amend your soil, and the only way to amend your soil in a way that will result in decompacting clay is to apply gypsum.

Applying gypsum at the time you aereate is a fantastic idea. Gypsum is basically rock and dust, so applying it on the surface is not nearly as helpful as getting it into the soil when you aereate.

But when I say aereate, I mean mechanical aereation.


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## BenC (Mar 27, 2018)

All the above is on the right track. Sand is good and any calcium you can get in is good. When aerating (tilling) many clay types, the clay just seals right back up pretty quickly(within a season). 
Pounds on the ground: an acre foot of soil weighs approximately 4 million pounds. So a "clay" soil (25-40% clay) would require hundreds of thousands of pounds of sand to really change the texture to any appreciable depth. You can only move the "dial" a little at a time practically. Best approach is to to do sand and calcium and organic matter concentrate and then more appropriate calcium type(gypsum, lime, cacl, cano3, etc). This increases porosity via texture and floculation improvements. The soil amendment process takes many years to do correctly. Maintaining a turf crop while amending soil just lengthens the process.


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## BenC (Mar 27, 2018)

I'm no turf manager, so correct me if i'm Wrong, but I think the approach is to build the preferred soil on top of the native soil prior to turf establishment


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

BenC said:


> I'm no turf manager, so correct me if i'm Wrong, but I think the approach is to build the preferred soil on top of the native soil prior to turf establishment


That's funny I have always been told the most effective way to amend soil is through subsurface amendments over time. And if you ha e not yet established turf, still amend the soil subsurface by tilling then compacting again, etc. I have no idea, just take in info and then try to research it myself to understand.

Is there a concentrate you have made before on the clay issue? I definitely have a problem which is why I know a little on the topic. My best option locally is granular gypsum (I didn't mention calcium because the gypsum product whatever it may. E will have a Ca mix in my experience). I've been doing amendments for one year so hoping to see improvement in the next season or two. Currently my soil is solid clay and has terrible drainage. It retains water and is always soft. I could go dig up a sprinkler and would find water subsurface most days.


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## BenC (Mar 27, 2018)

Yeah, you got it. Best approach is to amend to rooting depth or to the water infiltration restrictive layer, whichever is the primary issue, prior to crop establishment. Turf management/ establishment is not my specialty, but other permanent crops are. Gypsum is a calcium product at around 22% calcium.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

BenC said:


> Yeah, you got it. Best approach is to amend to rooting depth or to the water infiltration restrictive layer, whichever is the primary issue, prior to crop establishment. Turf management/ establishment is not my specialty, but other permanent crops are. Gypsum is a calcium product at around 22% calcium.


Well I've seen your posts and appreciate your insight. Thanks


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