By putting a layer of soil conditioner of about 75mm on top of the clay soil then dig it in and mix it with the soil, the organic matter will help break down the heavy clay lumps and make the soil more manageable. This is best done annually.

Nothing will change in terms of the approval and construction standards if a septic system is applied for under the Interim Ordinance. The Interim Ordinance will allow certain types of advanced systems to be installed (systems which have been approved in the past via a Board of Supervisors' variance). Standard septic systems will continue to be allowed under in the new Ordinance using the same approval and construction standards currently in place under the Interim Ordinance.

Good soil does contain particles of clay, sand, and silt, however sand does not improve clay soil. Adding sand to clay makes cement! To improve any soil, always add organic matter.

Skip MNZ4 - You have 8 inches of good soil in Zone 5 so I would think you could plant the bulbs at 6, maybe 7, inches. The problem is not that tulips won't do well in clay but it's that the clay underlayment acts as a barrier to good drainage and if you have really wet conditions this may, indeed, lead to rotting of the bulbs. The Hyacinths can go in at the same depth as the tulips while the Muscari can go in at 5 inches.

First, know the history of your garden soil. Where did the soil come from? What pesticides were used in the past? Has the site always been a garden or was it once used for commercial agriculture? Is the area downhill from a commercial operation, such as a nursery or farm, where pesticides are used and subject to runoff? If you are concerned about excess herbicide residues and have the opportunity, before planting, pot sensitive plants in the soil and observe plant health.

There are no universally effective procedures for soil decontamination except time or removing the soil. Some suggest that activated charcoal is effective in adsorbing unwanted contaminants, but pesticide contaminants are often adsorbed to the soil and not available for immediate adsorption by charcoal. Another commonly recommended treatment is to add some form of manure to the soil with the hope that this will stimulate the microbial activity resulting in rapid break down of pesticide residues.

The key to gardening in Colorado is soil. Apply 3 inches of organics on top of your clay soil, which should be rototilled to a 6- to 10-inch depth. We recommend Nature's Yield® Compost.

Simply, No! The nutrient availability pH range in a soil environment is much larger so pH adjustment is not necessary.

Whether you're dealing with a sandy soil or a clay, the answer is the same. Organic matter will help sandy soils hold moisture and nutrients when they might otherwise leach out of the root zone. That same organic matter will help loosen tight clay soils so water and fertilizer can penetrate more readily. Best sources of organic matter include brown Canadian peat moss, rotted manure, compost and shredded bark mulch.

If you don't have a large, active Great Dane to run them off, you could try laying chicken wire over the planted area to repel the cats, or use bird-netting. They don't seem to want to walk on uneven surfaces. If you already have transplants in, cut a number of one-foot twigs and stick them in between the plants to fill up the open spaces. You can remove the twigs as the plants get bigger and stronger.

Not really, any deep areas should be filled with soil first then mix the soil conditioner in with the top 150mm.

Greenlife 'Mulch & Compost' should be added to condition the soil. The product should be incorporated into the existing soil to a depth of 10cm. The final blend should be no greater than 50% compost. After planting, mulch should be applied to increase moisture holding. We suggest that you use our Forest Fines as its grading and colour are well suited to native gardens.

The best soil conditioner for exotic gardens is Botany Humus. This is much richer than Greenlife 'Mulch & Compost', and provides additional nutrients for the plants.

All the plants are selected for suitability to your site. To make the gardens more personalized, we offer a selection plants within each theme from which your child can choose. Our gardens are generally designed for flat sites; however, we can customize them to a hillier or sloped site if necessary. Because many of the planting beds are small, we can amend your existing soil. We also can install plants that prefer your existing soil.

Most home soil test kits test only for soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Without knowing the calcium and magnesium levels in the soil, it is impossible to correct the soil pH without risking a calcium-to-magnesium imbalance. In addition, application of the wrong type of limestone could be disastrous. {top}

Please visit USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service web site at http://soils.usda.gov for more information about soils.

We get our clay from a distributor in Minneapolis that mixes clay from a number of different sources.