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[Radium]

Got any ideas for removing excess clay from soil?

I just added too much clay-rich soil to my compost, the result is very heavy and sticky, and I don't have anymore compost yet.
Can I literally wash clay out of it?
Any ideas?

[BubbleCat]

Organic matter will likely float, clay will sink, much of your compost will sink to. But if you combine with water in a bucket and disperse it well your mix will settle in different layers of silt clay compost and so on. Then remove the water once it has mostly cleared and take of individual layers.

1 Like Radium likes this.

[Radium]

Sounds like a lot of work 

Since clay particles are really small, can't I just add lots of water to the soil, then filter it through a sieve with very small holes, to just let the clay pass, and catch all the other stuff?
Will any of the compost pass too?

But that way lots of soluble minerals will be gone as well, rendering my soil semi-useless 

[Auxin]

If you have an old T-shirt and string you can make it into a giant soil teabag and massage it in a container of water. Clay particles are very small. I filter compost tea and fermented weeds tea through a handkerchief and the clay zips right through with the water.
If your concerned about dissolved nutrients, let the muddy water settle and scoop off the top 80% to use as water for plants.

[BubbleCat]

Sounds like a lot of work 

Might be highly subjective but I dont consider getting a bucket, filling it with water, dumping soil in, stirring it, waiting for it to settle, siphon the water out and scrape a few different layers out of it much work

Someone extra lazy might even put it in the sun and wait for the water to evaporate

Also amongst loam compost and silt you might find a layer of clay suitable for pottery. Most likely suitable for earthenware, if lucky even suitable for stoneware.

1 Like hereje likes this.

[teonanocatl]

just add sand or coir  or chopped straw or gypsum(officially used for breaking up clay soil on large scale) or perlite or vermiculite or crunched up leaves or dry grass clippings..or sawdust...pretty much any thing that will breakup your clay..clay is good...just not by itself, that is all

1 Like fairdinkumseeds likes this.

[chamomeleon]

Rice hulls work pretty good as well. 

[BubbleCat]

Or keep it for plants that love clay heavy mixes and make a new one for the others, Datura for example dont like organic matter.

[Radium]

Yeah Datura is a poor kid raised in a low-class family.
She finds must classy soil more comfortable 

Honestly I don't have gypsum, what I have is powdered plaster of Paris.
But isn't that converted into gypsum once it absorbs moisture?
Would that make any difference VS adding real gypsum?

[Auxin]

Not all plants like gypsum, especially in more than small amounts.
Cactus growers add gypsum to the mix when they want to stunt and torture cacti so they look more wild and less pampered.

[Radium]

Not all plants like gypsum, especially in more than small amounts.

Why is that so? does it alkalize the soil too much?

I don't have any rice hulls and other items you mentioned, but I spotted a big heap of old decomposing brown cardboard in the alley, went and ripped a big chunk, shredded it on spot, put it in a bag, and came back home, then added water and made a pulp out of it, squeezed the water out, then added it to the soil and mixed well. the soil looks good now.
I just hope there's no dangerous chems (glues, preservatives, etc) in the cardboard, since I plan to plant tomatoes in that soil.

[BubbleCat]

Some plant wont tolerate alkaline soil, some even wont tolerate different elements in their soil even if the pH was still in their range.
This can make weird things like many Meconopsis dislike lime but like alkaline environments

[Auxin]

Gypsum is the most soluble common source of calcium in soils.
I expect thats why many plants dont handle very much gypsum well, calcium overdose.

1 Like Radium likes this.

[teonanocatl]

the cardboard should be fine, its mostly this soy based glue stuff mycelium acctually likes to eat...it proby wont hurt your plants especially if its partially broken down already...might  also try coffee grounds since theyr ussuallly easy to get and most plants seem to like it