2 loads of CLAY! Help!

[sullen]

I got 2 free loads from this guy, he was moving it anyway...turns out it's clay! 90% anyway. So now I have 2 huge piles of clay in my yard....any ideas on what to put in it so I can use it? I am moving it this weekend, I can add anything I have to to make it better. Even peat, whatever. I figure then I can use it. It has to go somewhere, it's int he way of snow removal.

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I would mix in hardwood sawdust, gypsum, and ammonium sulfate with the clay. It will all break down that way into usable soil.

[sullen]

Ohhhhhhh Ty

[fordson major]

we brought up a gully area with 200 loads of soaping wet clay which we leveled with a dozer. after a winter of freeze thaw we dug shallow holes where we wanted tomatoes and squash and loaded with compost/clay mix. plants grew well, fall we added two loads of manure. (weeds did not grow well enough between the tomatoes) after 5 years of adding compost the three feet of clay grows weeds well!! also added some sand in areas of the garden ,worked well too break it up!

[sullen]

Thanks. I want to use this to make flat ground out of some partly filled ravines near my house. Been working on filling those area for 4 years. Will look nice when the walls are finished, filled and a nice sitting area put out there.

[MeanDean]

Originally Posted by sullen

I got 2 free loads from this guy, he was moving it anyway...turns out it's clay! 90% anyway. So now I have 2 huge piles of clay in my yard....any ideas on what to put in it so I can use it? I am moving it this weekend, I can add anything I have to to make it better. Even peat, whatever. I figure then I can use it. It has to go somewhere, it's int he way of snow removal.

I recall one of those silly "human interest" stories on the news some time ago about a guy in Long Island Ny whom got in the stop-soil making business by providing a place where construction companies could dump their dirt (clay) and leaf collection companies could dump their organic matter (leaves, sticks, etc).

He'd sift both for crud, then mix them together and let them sit - bag it - sell it, enjoying repeat customers who rage about how good his top soil was. About all he pays for is the sifting, mixing equipment, bagging and shipping; all the raw materials are provided to him free of charge.

[omnicat]

It has to go somewhere

<waving hand>

Could you bring it to my house? The west side of my house there is a 3-4 foot strip of land between the house and my neighbor's driveway...and it slopes TOWARD my house - so water sits against the foundation when it rains heavy. I could use a load of clay to re-grade.

[MeanDean]

Originally Posted by omnicat

It has to go somewhere

<waving hand>

Could you bring it to my house? The west side of my house there is a 3-4 foot strip of land between the house and my neighbor's driveway...and it slopes TOWARD my house - so water sits against the foundation when it rains heavy. I could use a load of clay to re-grade.

Heh, I had not that exact situation recently - but clay ground that wasn't training on one side of the house.

Put down sod this past October - fescue - it drinks up the big rains dry; looks good too.

[sullen]

Sorry Omnicat, it cost me $60 bucks to get it here.....