Need to add a little sand to the veg garden?

The soil is a little heavy because it started with a little too much clay and I have been adding organics for 2 years. I'd like to add a little sand to aid with drainage since as it is it tends to stay soggy. Is it ok to use the play sand you buy at Lowe's? I try to keep things organic. Does anyone know if this sand is treated with something. Thanks.

Answer: 1.
Adding sand to clay soil does not really help with the drainage. And it does nothing to open the drainage. The clay just sticks to the sand particles.

Keep adding coarse organic matter. Not the potting soil or peat moss like stuff. Add some composted woodchips, coase things to keep the soil open. (I like "Gardener & Bloome. A Kelloge product).

You could try adding some gypsum, Calcium Sulfate, to help with the clay. The Calcium ions help hold the clay particle apart. Yeah, its an invisible chemical thing.

Best is to plant deep rooted plants, cover crops or such. Vetch, clover or just about anything that can be cut and left in place.
I was amazed at the bell beans and barley I planted for a covercrop. The soil changed in a season. All those roots. and the increase in worms.

Yeah, worms. Add some worm casting, or get some worms from somewhere. You can buy them, live. Red worms like for fishing. Just plain earthworms.

Don't waste money on sand. Buy compost.
Answer: 2.
I was going to recommend that you come to our community, called "Sand Hill", and to our house, which is on top of one of those sandy hills, and bring a shovel if you'd like or we'd scoop you up a bunch in my tractor's bucket, but, as for the sand you get at Lowe's or similar places, I really don't know about that at all. Good luck. God Bless you.
Answer: 3.
You really should use a horticultural grade sand. You can buy it buy the bag in most garden centers.
Answer: 4.
No, I used to think sand would help also. I have VERY heavy clay soil. The best thing you can do is keep adding organic material. Sand will just turn the clay into concrete. You would have to use so much sand, that your soil would then become 'poor' and drain TOO quickly.

I bought the wrong soil, will that matter?

I bought a large bag of organic garden soil. But what I really need is potting soil for my citrus trees.Should I go return the garden soil?or is there anything I can do to make my garden soil become potting soil?

Answer: 1.
The organic garden soil is made of organic materials, such as, manures, leaves, mulch ect. in the already broken down stage. Potting soil is made of peat, vermiculite and sand, with nutrients added. I'm sure the organic garden soil will work as good as the potting soil.
Answer: 2.
Go back and say you need potting soil
Answer: 3.
Hi,
Before you make the trip to exchange the soil, call to find out if it would be a wasted or good trip to make. Will they do an exchange? Is it necessary? The potting soil is probably a lighter mix and suited for indoors. You may be able to use the organic soil in your garden. Also, it may have more weed seeds.

The Muse
Answer: 4.
You can use it, but you might want to get some peat to throw in the pot to keep the soil lighter and more aerated.

I bought the wrong soil, will that matter?

I bought a large bag of organic garden soil. But what I really need is potting soil for my citrus trees.Should I go return the garden soil?or is there anything I can do to make my garden soil become potting soil?

Answer: 1.
I have included a link to a site to answer your question. Happy Growing.

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/dwarfcitr...
Answer: 2.
i think you can add some fertilizers to enrich the potting soil

organic garden?

what are organic gardening basics, i dont want to use manure, chemicals or pesticides. I was planning on using peat moss in the soil, what else should I know in regards to keeping the plants healthy and keeping pests away from the plants, please dont link, i just want simple real suggestions.

Answer: 1.
Growing plants & vegetables without synthethic, artificial man-made chemicals is possible...
if you nuture habitats for beneficial organisms that help deter problem pests, and enrich your soil to create a living ecosystem of beneficial bacteria and helpful fungi.

If you use compost with composted manure,or fish emulsion for fertilizer ...you don't need artificial fertilizers.

Use 1part milk to 9 parts water to control fungus. Milk has a germicidal effect--it kills the fungal spores-- and it also appears to stimulate plants in such a way that they become more resistant to the disease.

I suffocated cabbage loopers by sprinkling flour on my cabbage plants when they were wet. The loopers would crawl up unto the leaves & get pasted & fall off. If I saw black insect eggs on the head of the cabbage, I killed them by pouring sour milk on them.

Vinegar or boiling water or a layered newspaper mulch can be used to kill weeds.

Bugs aren't a big problem when nature is in balance. Set out Praying mantis eggs & ladybugs to consume aphids, mites, whiteflies and scale. They can be attracted to your garden by planting members of the daisy family (Compositae), tansy or yarrow. Make your garden an inviting place for frogs & birds.

Cornmeal works on seedlings to prevent damping off or any other soil-borne fungal diseases on both food and ornamental crops. One application may be all that is needed, but multiple applications are okay if necessary because cornmeal serves as a mild organic fertilizer and soil builder.

You can grow these beneficial flowers next to your vegetables (as companion plants) to deter pests & improve their growth:
Nasturtium are good planted with Tomatoes, radish, cabbage, cucumbers; planted under fruit trees; deters aphids & pests of curcurbits
Geraniums repel cabbage worms and Japanese beetles, plant around grapes, roses, corn, and cabbage.
Marigolds helps most plants, especially tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers, gourds, squash,broccoli, kale, cabbage
Tansy is good for cucumbers, squash, raspberries & relatives, roses, corn. Repels flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs and ants

Good luck!! Hope this helps.
Answer: 2.
Tobacco. Put some tobacco in water and let it sit for a few days or week or 2. Use the water in a spray bottle for pest repellent for the plant leaves. What's wrong with manure? You can buy pH soil testers as well. Different plants need different soil pH. Acidic or alkaline.
Answer: 3.
To Keep slugs away get coffee granules put the coffee granules around the crop (but not on top) that will soke up the moisture from the snails.
Answer: 4.
Sorry but organic gardening is not simple to do it well and successfully.

Manure is wonderful, especially aged. Great stuff for the soil. Peat moss is good too but all on it's own will not give you good soil and will lower your pH so your soil might get too acidic for most things.

Composted manure is the best thing to put on your soil. the soil life loves compost and will reward you with healthy plants. Green manures are also excellent. This is a crop grown specifically to be turned into the soil to add organic matter.

Healthy soil is the most important aspect of a good organic garden

Tobacco was mentioned as an natural pesiticide and it is a good one but it is also wide spectrum which means it kills everything it touches (insect wise) and should never be used on tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or eggplant as these are all close relatives and tobacco spray can and will transmit some nasty and long term (like 25 year) pathogens to these crops.

Soap sprays are effective for soft bodies insects. Beneficial insects are probably the most effective but in order for this to work you can spray nothing on your plants and that means for a couple of years as your garden gets into balance things will look rough. But know a plant can lose over 70% of its foliage and not be unhealthy (they just look bad to us humans). Also know that 95% of all the bugs in your garden are either neutral or beneficial and should not be harmed. When we spray pesticides that knock out everything than we must continue spraying poisons forever or allow the pests to come back in enmasse before one will see the beneficial insects come in to control the bad boys. beneficial insects include bees, praying mantises, green lacewings, ladybugs, wheel bugs, assassin bugs, pirate bug, soldier beetles, lightening bugs, etc..

Neem oil is an effective pesticide that is not very broad spectrum. Other pest controls include row covers which keeps the pest off of the plants via exclusion (and my favorite form of plant protection-I use around a mile of row cover on my market garden), garlic and hot pepper sprays (drop several cloves of garlic in water let sit for a month than use 1TBL spoon of that mixture to 1 quart of water spray on plants. Same deal with hot pepper spray. You can mix the two together. This does not kill bugs but does have a decent repelling effect)

Hand picking is one of the most effective controls of pest insects

I won't include links, though there are many great sites loaded with the information you need.

Trouble with Corymbia Ficofolias (Flowering Red Gums)?

About a month ago I purchased 4 of these trees, 2 are about 5 feet tall, while the other two are about a foot tall. I dug the holes 2-3 times the size of the root balls and planted the trees using an organic potting mix and watered in well. I watered the trees about 2-3 times per week and used miraclegrow about once every 2 weeks. After about a week after planting, the leaves on the trees started turning a greyish color and became very dry and brittle. I live in S.E. Queensland, Au. and my soil is clay/loam. What should I do to save these trees?

Answer: 1.
Hey Gas n Go,

Get your soil tested. The most important stat on the report will be the pH. The plant labels should say what the soil conditions need to be. You might also amend the soil with organic matter (mixed evenly around the roots). This will give some structure to your clay.

Be sure not to overwater as clay tends to not drain very well. Check to see if the roots are resting in standing water, if they are, perhaps you raise up the planting area a bit (basically replant about 6 inches higher by amending the soil with compost). They apparently love moisture, so this should not be too much problem.

Here are some articles you can read about your plants.