New construction, part in original blackland ex-cotton field, fallow for 40+ years except for sporatic cattle, none for 15 years. Due to construction, at least 50% in "clay subsoil" The clay subsoild rototills into very large lumps that do not break up.

<Note: please do not recommend Corn, as I need to seed grass here>

Question 1:
what is the best amendment to the fallow soil for Buffalo Grass. Applicaiton rate!

Question 2:
what is the best amendment to the clay subsoil for Buffalo Grass. Applicaiton rate!

Question 3:
What is the current thought on Cotton Burr Compost for grass? Will it help the clay? WHAT IS THE APPLICATION RATE?

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Indian Paintbrush Tall Grass Prairie, Bonham TX, info soon at: http://www.sterkel.org

One of the best amendments for clay soils, regardless of what is being planted, is expanded shale. Expanded shale looks similar to pea gravel except that it contains thousands of pores and capillaries that hold water and nutrients and release them back out to the roots when the surrounding soil becomes dry. The other benefit of this porous ceramic product is that those pores also hold air, which can dramatically improve the soil profile of a compacted clay soil.

We bag and sell expanded shale at Designer Dirt because we believe in it and the years of research that supports its use. We also produce a product called Cla-Buster, which is simply a 50-50 mix of expanded shale and fully finished compost. Howard endorses both of these products.

Please feel free to contact me directly at grow@designerdirt.com if you'd like more information.

Sorry, but I forgot to mention application rates. The research on expanded shale recommends covering your soil with 3" and tilling it in 6", although we think anywhere between 1" and 3" will do just fine.

By the way, since expanded shale is a "porous ceramic" material, it will not break down or decompose, so you only need to apply it once. Depending on how much you work the soil and how much you apply initially, you may want to add more in 5 to 10 years. This makes the product very economical over the life cycle of the bed/turf base.

Porus ceramic material sound exactly like the cheap kitty litter I get at H-E-B. The Hill Country Fare brand kitty litter called Traditional is 100% zeolite. Cost is $2 for 20 pounds.

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David Hall
Moderator
Dirt Doctor Lawns Forum