Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Jan 23, 2011 10:52 pm We're building in Byford (The Glades) and have yellow and black sand on top of clay. Saw this heavily advertised during a Garden Gurus show and was wondering if anyone has used it? I'm planning on having a local native plant-filled garden so how much improving do I need to do? Thanks! Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 2Jan 23, 2011 11:22 pm viewtopic.php?f=19&t=43104&start=0 Another enquiry in the space of day. Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 3Jan 24, 2011 12:42 am We use it from time to time and have done for a while. Absolutely have a go of it. With good amounts of it mixed through the structure of a soil you may be looking at one day of water a week and still have the lawn and garden looking better than next door. It may mean even less water as some of our beds do where we have used bentonite. However we also use and recommend many other soil amendments and always add organic composts to improve the organic structure of the soil. This is what the Gurus do also with their Landscapes. They use Biowise as a compost. Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 4Jan 24, 2011 12:44 am The following are articles by Josh Byrne or which involve the use of clays. http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1752163.htm http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1305187.htm http://aussieslivingsimply.com.au/forum ... our-garden This is a ripper article http://www.sustainableoutdoors.com.au/bentonite-clay/ Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 5Jan 24, 2011 12:44 am The clays have many types especially bentonite which is predominantly named after its major mineral content like Sodium or Calcium or Potassium. and when it comes to them there are differences but in my opinion they really are trivial. Trivial because not many folks use them at all! They will all have a tremendous benefit. It is huge! When a water bill is either $100 (or less) or $$300 it is worth while That isn't even going into the nitty gritty of what is going on. That will bore you to tears. This is often a competitive area of the market and becoming more so. So we can expect a heap of things to come about what is slightly better than another and confuse all hell out of you. At the end of the day, USE THEM!!! Pick which ever you want When the sand particles stick together you will get far more moisture staying in the soil and permanently almost. What we then use on established gardens as wetting agents will have far less relevance. In garden centres these products are often sold as "wetting Agents" Munns wet-a-lawn and garden, Sand Remedy also. They will be found sitting there in the wetting agent area of the garden shop. I think retailers need to move with the times and introduce soil amendment sections so they can be better marketed for what they really are. Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 6Jan 24, 2011 12:45 am We use a heap of other clay products too like Attapulgite (In some clay cat litters) or bentonite of various forms which are very cheap and have so many other uses so you may already be using them and not know it and wasting a tremendous resource! Black and Gold Clay cat litter costs me less than $4 for a 5kg bag. %100 Bentonite. Being clumped/larger granule it doesn't do it's best for a while but it sure does over months and years. Finer bentonites are more effective faster. Farm shops will sell fine Sodium Bentonite for cattle feeds at around $20-30 for 20kg. Great in sandy soils. Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 7Jan 24, 2011 12:45 am As for the native side of things, we never have native soils left after sub divisions have been established and homes built. I always use certified organic mixes and the crap I hear about natives and organic composts does my head in. With a living healthy soil that has clays, zeolite etc added and certified organic composts and the right mulches that are fresh and uncomposted from your local tree lopper mob, you can grow any native in it. I have discussed this with many of the states best when it comes to natives, especially WA natives. A book may say something needs gravely soil or what ever but you can get them to grow in almost any healthy soil that is chock full of a living universe of micro organisms I have here for example very rich composted soils that go down to about 30cm now, then blend through to sand. Verticordias flourishing! Books will say they can't. Stilidiums from the desert areas, flourishing Gero waxes going bonkers. Gastrolobiums with their amazing flower show, Diploeanas, Dryandras that normally must have sand apparently, all going nuts! The root structures on the Hakeas are enormous! Very waterwise Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 8Jan 24, 2011 12:45 am The greater the organic content of the soil, the less pH matters and with so much of the Perth area extremely Alkaline it is all going to help and come together and make that garden so very easy from the day the landscape is finished right through into the foreseeable future While all the McGardens around you will gobble water and not look even close to what your garden will look like. Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 9Jan 24, 2011 12:46 am Have a search there is lots on getting the soil right and also how to keep it that way with the right mulches. (click on the links in my signature for more) http://www.sustainableoutdoors.com.au/verge-gardens/ If every home, especially new urban areas, had landscapes done with the soil prep methods you see here at Homeone, Great Gardens and used products like Soil Solver, Sand Remedy or cheaper clays found in everyday clay cat litter, we would have far more ground water, far more water in the dams and our wetlands and rivers would be in far better shape Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 10Jan 24, 2011 1:35 am Oh and the deeper clay isn't likely to play a direct role if it is more than 400mm deep. It is the top 20-40cm that is the critical layer of soil where all the action is. Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 11Jan 24, 2011 11:11 am For your native selections, these should be of benefit to you in helping you get ideas and inspiration or perhaps someone to do the job for you http://www.apacewa.org.au/ http://friendsofkingspark.com/ http://www.zanthorrea.com/ http://www.zanthorrea.com/info.php http://www.sustainableoutdoors.com.au/ http://www.sustainableoutdoors.com.au/verge-gardens/ http://www.sustainableoutdoors.com.au/c ... t-gallery/ http://www.sustainableoutdoors.com.au/s ... list-2010/ Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 12Jan 24, 2011 11:13 am Wow! Thanks so much Fu!! Thought it would be ok to use the Soil Solver but you know how when something is so heavily promoted, it makes you wonder if it's really all it's supposed to be? I'd better change the savings plan to save for the soil prep before the lawn (and garden). Won't kill the dog to wait a couple more weeks for the grassy mat in his toilet area .. Donna Building the Floreat with SPH in The Glades at Byford Re: Has anyone in WA used Soil Solver? 13Jan 24, 2011 11:21 am If you have a woofa check this link too viewtopic.php?f=19&t=43303 As title suggests, looking at using the interlocking Pentablock stacked stone products to replace failing timber retaining… 0 17863 Hi All, we are starting to think of building with Masterpiece Builders in Victoria, has anyone had any feedback or experience with them 0 13587 Hi we are looking to talk to people who have built with them recently. We have signed mid range built contract but identified that a lot of things are not included.… 0 702 |