Question 1

How do you apply it? Do you just put it on top of the soil? Do you water it afterwards?

Accepted Answer

Oooh, you really don't want me to answer that, because I am something of a nutcase on the subject. A year ago I moved into a place with terrible heavy clay soil over builder's rubble, with a seam of clay under that, and wanted to dig the beds once, then never again. So I have dug out every scrap of soil, 3 feet down and riddled (sieved) it all to get out the rubble and break it up, mixed the gypsum into each bucket-load of soil and put it all in a dumpy bag. Then broke up the clay seam at the bottom of the trench with a mattock and poured in a good thick drainage layer of the smaller rubble, more gypsum in the form of wetted offcuts of new plasterboard and a load of conifer trimmings (will break down slowly, add some organic material and in theory some acidity, also gets rid of the conifer trimmings). I then then backfilled with the treated soil and at least an equal quantity of well-rotted manure. I am now in my second season and the beds are a dream - light, well-drained, ridiculously fertile, and packed with worms - more than I have ever seen in any soil. I have just added a mulch of more manure and loosely turned it in, but that is it. I have set up supports so that I can lay a plank across and not put any weight on the surface of the beds.

So - you may not have wanted to hear all that - but I did read somewhere that gypsum will eventually wash out of a soil, so my approach was the use it to initially condition a clay soil (fertile, but otherwise a total nightmare), then maintain the condition with lots and lots of organic material (effectively stopping the clay from clumping together again) and let the worms do the rest.

And I am an old bird - a retired nurse with messed up wrists and shoulders, so not some big strapping chap - but I would do it all again to know that this is it forever, and there isn't anything I can't grow, as it also means that I can control the pH in different beds for different plants and crops.

Sorry - as I said, you really didn't want me to answer that!

Question 2

can you please let me know HOW to put the gypsum?? do i dig the soil & turn it over (this is difficult). or just on top of soil.

Accepted Answer

Gypsum penetrates more easily than lime so deep working was not recommended. I forked the ground down to about 6 inches and broke the bigger clods to 2-3 inches. The gypsum was fine free flowing and easy to apply evenly, at 5oz/sqyd. Compared to lime it went into the finest cracks without caking.

Question 3

My home was built recently and the garden is about 8" of topsoil over clay, when it rains the lawn is sodden. What's the best method of application?

Accepted Answer

I removed the topsoil, into large bags, sprinkled a good layer of gypsum onto the clay (impossible to dig it in) and then replaced the topsoil, also mixed with gypsum. It worked well...no puddles!

Question 4

Is this product plain Gypsum or are there more substances added? Do you have some experience with mushroom cultivation with this product?

Accepted Answer

is this 100% pure or does it have anything added to it?
(I want it for mushroom cultivation)

ASIN	B00CORDKW2
Best Sellers Rank	9,806 in Garden ( See Top 100 in Garden ) 222 in Gardening Soils
Brand Name	British Gypsum
Coverage	Plants, grass, and soil
Customer Reviews	4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (569)
Global Trade Identification Number	05027588009480
Item Form	Powder
Item Weight	25 Kilograms
Manufacturer	British Gypsum
Mixing Ratio	1:0:0
Model Number	ves769
Part Number	ves769
Specific Uses For Product	Soil Treatment
Target Species	plants, grass
Unit Count	25000.0 gram

for Agricultural Amendment, Amend Very Compact Clay Soils, 25 kg Bag

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