Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rtech.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!amdahl!rtech!jeff From: jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) Newsgroups: net.garden Subject: Re: Horse Manure Message-ID: <717@rtech.UUCP> Date: Sat, 26-Oct-85 05:01:47 EST Article-I.D.: rtech.717 Posted: Sat Oct 26 05:01:47 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 30-Oct-85 03:49:12 EST References: <1296@mtgzz.UUCP> Organization: Relational Technology, Alameda CA Lines: 30 > > Horse manure is excellent for enriching the soil. If you have > sandy soil you will need more than just horse manure. Since sand does > not hold water well (as I'm sure you've noticed) you will also have > to add peat moss or some other material to increase the water retention > of you soil. Peat moss is probably your best bet since it's cheap and > it's acid. I hear that western soils tend to be alkaline and the peat > moss may correct the pH balance also. Don't take me on my word on > that though. That's conjecture on my part. > > Sharon Badian > ihnp4!mtgzz!seb I would stay away from the peat moss. My experience is that it is a water repellant. It is very hard to wet. After I added some to a large planter box several years ago, water would run off of the surface instead of soaking in. I have never used peat moss since. Redwood compost help water retention, and is easy to wet. I imagine that it's very expensive on the east coast, but in California it's cheap. Many western soils are alkaline, but that's because they're made of clay. Water tends to leach out alkalinity, leaving an acid soil, but if the water runs off the top of the soil (as it does with clay), there will be no leaching. For this reason, I would expect sandy soil to be acid, not alkaline. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) "Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent..." {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff