[b]Help!!! [/b]What have I done?

[Hosta Kelly]

:?: I have a shade/hosta garden. I planted my hostas in an old sugar maple forest, using the existing very rich humousy soil. I was advised that my plants aren't getting big because my soil is too dense (clay) and need to ammend it with course sand. My husband brought home a large quantity of sand which I laborously distributed throughout the garden.

Afterwards, to my horror, I found he had given me limestone! Have I just killed my garden? Is there anything I can do to counteract what I have done? What will become of my rhododendrons?

Please, anyone, can you help me? Please e-mail me.

[saccharum]

Yikes! I'll let someone like CompostAl tell you how to get your pH back down. I don't know of any "organic" method - I'd probably be adding sulfur in an extreme case like that. Maybe a vinegar mixture?

I can tell you that your Rhododendrons aren't gonna like that limestone!

I also wanted to say that adding sand to clay, though often suggested, isn't a good way to aerate clay soil. It can actually greatly reduce pore space, until you get up to around 75% sand in the mixture. The only things that the research has proven to have clear benefits for soil aeration are surface mulching... and soil removal and replacement.

[Taxodium]

I guess we know who gets the couch tonight. :shock: