Compost

[Ronald]

I want to buy some compost to put on my garden to help the clay soil and i want to add some sand. Is this okay to do? If not want should i do to help the soil. Some of the garden is new and some i used the last 2 years. I am kind of new to gardening so all the help i get will be greatly appriciated. Thank you!

[Newt]

Hi Ronald,

The addition of organic matter such as compost is a great thing to do to improve your soil. If you are going to add sand, make sure it's builder's sand and not play sand which is finer. Don't put more then a 1" layer of sand down. Add to that a 3" to 4" layer of compost and mix it all in to a new planting bed. For a bed that you've already added compost to you can put down a 1" or 2" layer of compost and mix that in.

If you need alot of compost you can use order it in bulk instead of purchasing it in bags as it's less expensive. To determine how much compost you will need you can use this compost calculator.
http://www.cedar-grove.com/compost_calculator.asp

Newt