gypsum (forum)

ringelstrumpf starts with ...
I read something about gypsum and that there are nasties in it. But I read this some while ago and I forgot what it was.
We have alkaline soil, it should be acid in the mountains but they dumped fill on our site. I need something which acts as gypsum "clay breaker".

Time: 23rd September 2011 7:28pm

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Brendan says...
G'day rs,
Try to buy 'natural' gypsum, some isn't. But saying that, I've never had a problem with ANY gypsum. It's hard to overdo it, IMO.
All gypsum is clay-breaker.
For faster results, use liquid gypsum.
I'd use both :-)

Time: 24th September 2011 7:00am

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jakfruit etiquette says...
you want to get gypsum mined from natural deposits, first check the cadmium levels, plus other heavy metals.Phosophogypsum is a by product of superphosphate manufacture. I think it can have higher levels of cadmiun etc, from concentrating the fish in the guano deposit.

Time: 24th September 2011 12:55pm

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john says...
If you don't understand the cation exchange mechanism of gypsum then you will not understand where gypsum is inappropriate and you will waste money. Ringelstrumpf , gypsum is of no use in the BM.

Time: 24th September 2011 1:52pm

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Mike says...
I overdid the gypsum for a long while and I don't think it broke up clay that well.It can reduce the availability of FE,Mg and Mn in the soil.

Time: 24th September 2011 7:06pm

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Violet_Cactus says...
Gardening Australia has a fact sheet on how to test your clay soil to see if gypsum will work on it.
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1676965.htm

Presenter: Angus Stewart, 01/07/2006

Angus learns how to test clay soil

Clay often gets bad press in gardening books. But clay soils can be the best in the garden, depending on the type of clay and how it

Time: 26th September 2011 12:17pm

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john says...
Excellent summary. Ringelstrumpf, if you're reading this, you will find that BM clay does not respond to gypsum.One thing missing from the article is that ordinary lime will do the job and may be better than gypsum if your soil is highly acid.

Time: 26th September 2011 3:06pm

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ringelstrumpf says...
Thanks for all these answers quite interesting! The problem is two fold. dirst I really might get heavy metals in my soil second it might not work.
Yes we have BM clay, but that is mixed with fill- concrete rubble (grrr). Someone told me that they dumped fill up and down the mountains. I can't tell how many m

Time: 26th September 2011 10:28pm

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amanda says...
That's a shame about the concrete rubble ringlestrumpf! Is it enough to be making the soil alkaline so u think? Such a bad thing to dump.

Great summary Violet - thanks for posting! I learnt something about the big mountain of clay that I have to actually add to my garden! :D

Time: 27th September 2011 5:12pm

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ringelstrumpf says...
You can imagine what I do with each concrete lump I find.
Today I filled the car with pine needles, because I insist to grow blueberries, and the soil test said 8. This despite the cedar mulch I have put on, but that maybe acts very slow. Now I have a 20 cm pine needle mulch around the plants. Hopefully that helps. (Nice school holiday excursions)

Time: 28th September 2011 12:32pm

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gus says...
HOw about adding a little peat moss too lower the ph ringelstrumpf?


Time: 30th September 2011 7:19pm

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