Hi,

I want to pot some young conifers, the soil in my area has a fair
amount of clay in it, so, could I buy some compost and add some washed
gritty builders sand to give me a loamy consistancy ---- You may well
answer buy some loamy soil, but I just wondered if the above would be
OK to use.

If so, what ratio, sand to compost.

Thanks in advance.

Rick.

In article ,
Gary writes:
|
| I want to pot some young conifers, the soil in my area has a fair
| amount of clay in it, so, could I buy some compost and add some washed
| gritty builders sand to give me a loamy consistancy ---- You may well
| answer buy some loamy soil, but I just wondered if the above would be
| OK to use.
|
| If so, what ratio, sand to compost.

No - a disastrous idea. Builders' sand is all wrong. You need sharp
sand (also available from builders' merchants). You want to end up
with a proportion of something like 40% sharp sand, 40% compost and
20% clay.

For example, if your soil is 70% clay, that might mean equal parts of
sand, clay and soil. That would be fine for most conifers. Plants
that need very good drainage would need a different mixture.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Feb 1, 8:52*pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,Gary writes:

|
| I want to pot some young conifers, the soil in my area has a fair
| amount of clay in it, so, could I buy some compost and add some washed
| gritty builders sand to give me a loamy consistancy *---- You may well
| answer buy some loamy soil, but I just wondered if the above would be
| OK to use.
|
| If so, what ratio, sand to compost.

No - a disastrous idea. *Builders' sand is all wrong. *You need sharp
sand (also available from builders' merchants). *You want to end up
with a proportion of something like 40% sharp sand, 40% compost and
20% clay.

For example, if your soil is 70% clay, that might mean equal parts of
sand, clay and soil. *That would be fine for most conifers. *Plants
that need very good drainage would need a different mixture.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Brilliant

Thanks for you help Nick

Regards

Gary

In article ,
Gary writes:
|
| For example, if your soil is 70% clay, that might mean equal parts of
| sand, clay and soil. That would be fine for most conifers. Plants
| that need very good drainage would need a different mixture.

Er, I meant equal parts of sand, compost and soil :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.