Improving sandy soil....

[TxA&Mhunter]

Question is down below

So I have been researching and trying to figure out what I might do to improve ground in genral... I've read everything from bichar to adding bendonite clay... but all of them have a focus and in a nut shell the answer is organic matter...

I got to thinking about what to add outside of cover crops... but that only gets organic matter in to top layers of soil...

Would cycling hybrid poplars on to the sandy ground for a few years be the answer?

The amount of roots put out by hybrid poplar cuttings is unlike anything I've ever seen.
I've read that in deep sandy soils roots can go down 30 feet or more.
So if I planted hybrid poplars in tight groupings 400-600 per acre..
Cut every other row to stump after year one for cuttings for the acre...

After year three terminate all on that first acre?? All the root biomass is now organic matter in soil?

Any one have any thoughts at all or think this is idiotic please say I'm looking for feedback.

 

[Scott S]

I'm not nearly educated enough on the topic to offer you any input. But that's quite a crafty idea. I'm here for the answers you get.

 

[swat1018]

Unique idea, but I would say that the lions share of the OM would be below the rootzone of most food plot type plants. It might help if you stated your goal, I'm assuming to get the soil ripe for plots?

 

[TxA&Mhunter]

This is really more of an experiment to see if it's workable. I would also give me a large supply of couplings to re-forest open fields .

this is a 8 acre food plot right now with about acre of chestnut trees.

 

[MickT]

Something to consider is the type of OM you’re building. Plant tissue basically comes in 3 flavors- woody, grasses, and forbs. Wood takes forever to break down (very high C:N ratio) and that’s what lots of your shallow and surface material will be. Forbs have the lowest C:N ratio and can serve as fuel to help the soil microbes break down grasses and other high carbon biomass. Forbs will also rebuild the microbe community faster.

Not saying it won’t work- try it! But don’t expect it to feed the system as quickly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[buckdeer1]

I have a post under food plots called making dirt,it is basically the same thing sandy soil trying to make some kind of suitable soil for a kill plot

 

[yoderjac]

I have a post under food plots called making dirt,it is basically the same thing sandy soil trying to make some kind of suitable soil for a kill plot

Lots of good info, discussion, and links in that thread. http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/making-dirt.10261/

 

[TxA&Mhunter]

The plot has not not had any cultivation for 3 years only no till Of rye and oats dbtree type mix and millet and peas in summer...

This past summer we planted to late and got no germination or growth due to lack of rain... so the seed sat and came up in sep the Frosted off.. we haven't planted yet due to rain in oct and nov. and wanting to do soil test and lime it first.

 

[TxA&Mhunter]

So your saying the Tree roots would take longer to break down? Wouldn't that be a Good thing since sand is known for chewing though om faster than most soils?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

 

[TxA&Mhunter]

Sun hemp and perineal peanuts have crossed my mind too.
The seed cost is the real drawback IMO.. 30-50 lbs an acre at 100+per 50lbs
In spring and fall...


Now If it would reseed t would be worth it IMO . But in my tests it's not the best reseeder

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

4-8# in a mix. Uses same inoculant as cow peas. Sunn hemp/cow peas/sorgum sudan ?

 

[TxA&Mhunter]

?

4-8# in a mix. Uses same inoculant as cow peas. Sunn hemp/cow peas/sorgum sudan ?

Ok oddthe lbs per acre I've read are 20-50 depending on drilled or broadcast. Where are you finding those numbers?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

?

Ok oddthe lbs per acre I've read are 20-50 depending on drilled or broadcast. Where are you finding those numbers?

Albert Lea seed. It also says 15-20# alone. I guess It could depend on variety.
http://www.alseed.com/Pages/CropCategoryListing.aspx?categoryID=17

 

[Cap'n]

After you lime you might have some luck with your normal planting’s. 5.2 is not ideal as you know..
Calcined Clay may be less expensive than bentonite due to the fact that it isn’t used in the oil field. It holds moisture and oxygenates the soil. Sandy soil is hydrophobic and repels water. There are products that can reduce that problem.
What ever you decide to do it might be a good idea to test it in a smaller area to see what the result is. To me building biomass is the best way and using other inputs on smaller areas is the fastest way.