Science Forums 2

[Ahmabeliever]

10 % charcoal
90 % compost

For each 10 Gallons of the above

Handful of blood and bone
Handful of dolomite lime
2 handfuls yellow clay crushed to dust and sprinkled in (all I had then)

Watered with rainwater brewed with bacterial and fungal innoculants.

Placed in holes dug into surrounding clay soil (wound up 50/50 clay and 50/50 my mix).

The soil won't yield crops with similar (composting) methods in past. Nothing but ugly gardens that refused to flower or flowered way too early and died. Adding compost turned the clay to brick, if not immediately, after a few rains and walkthroughs.

Results are brilliant now. Better water holding capacity, mold resistance, porosity, lightness and tilth. Rapid growth of vegetative greens, fruit set occuring normally albeit heavily in tomatoes.

This is a successful experiment in correcting a soil previously capable only of growing weeds and grasses.

I will amend a larger area shortly, upon being able to make my own charcoal. Am storing bones and old pottery for the next run.