CorseMachin | Expanded Shale Information - How To Use Expanded Shale Soil Amendment

Expanded shale is used by orchid and bonsai enthusiasts to create lightweight, aerating, water retentive potting soils. It can be used with other containerized plants as well. Put a third of the shale in the bottom of the pot and then mix the shale with potting soil 50-50 for the rest of the container.

What is expandable shale?
How do you use shale?
How do you amend hardpan soil?
How do you amend soil in Texas?
Does expanded shale hold water?
Is shale good for drainage?
What are two ways to recover shale?
Is shale good to build on?
Why is shale gas bad?
How do you improve Waterlogged soil?
What is the best fertilizer for clay soil?
Is clay soil alkaline or acidic?

What is expandable shale?

Expanded Shale is a long lasting soil amendment that is made from clay or shale heated in a rotary kiln until it becomes a light, porous ceramic aggregate. Expanded shale improves soil aeration and drainage; and remains inert in the soil creating long term value.

How do you use shale?

Shale has many commercial uses. It is a source material in the ceramics industry to make brick, tile, and pottery. Shale used to make pottery and building materials requires little processing besides crushing and mixing with water. Crushing shale and heating it with limestone makes cement for the construction industry.

How do you amend hardpan soil?

Dig Deeply and Amend Like Crazy: Wait until the soil is lightly moist (not wet), and dig deeply into your bed bit by bit, putting portions of the clay soil in a wheel barrow. Then add loads of organic matter into the dug area–compost, leaf mulch, peat moss, earthworm castings, etc. (Check out Black Gold's amendments.)

How do you amend soil in Texas?

Best Organic Amendments for North Texas Soil

Alfalfa Meal – Provides many nutritional benefits not only for plant use, but for soil organisms as well. ...
Bat Guano – A natural, all-purpose fertilizer containing lots of trace elements. ...
Compost Tea – Compost tea added to your garden soil will introduce beneficial microbial life to your garden.

Does expanded shale hold water?

Expanded shale is formed when the shale is crushed and fired in a rotary kiln at 2,000 F. ... Expanded shale also holds 40% of its weight in water, allowing for better water retention around plants. Unlike organic amendments, expanded shale doesn't break down so soil stays loose and friable for years.

Is shale good for drainage?

Expanded shale has recently been used as an amendment with clay soils to improve its drainage properties. ... In addition to enhancing the drainage properties of the test specimen, the addition of expanded shale decreased the density of the clay samples, which may benefit vegetation growth and root development.

What are two ways to recover shale?

Hydraulic fracturing – commonly known as fracking – is the process used to extract shale gas. Deep holes are drilled down into the shale rock, followed by horizontal drilling to access more of the gas reserves, as shale reserves are typically distributed horizontally rather than vertically.

Is shale good to build on?

In the construction business, shale is an excellent rock to build a foundation on because it's so strong. Plus, it's compact enough to endure a structural piling without cracking, unlike clay.

Why is shale gas bad?

But US researchers found that shale gas wells leak substantial amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This makes its climate impact worse than conventional gas, they say - and probably worse than coal as well.

How do you improve Waterlogged soil?

Preventing Waterlogged Soil

A mulch of well-rotted manure will help improve soil structure.
Leafmould is easy to make and very beneficial for the soil.
Using raised beds can help prevent problems with waterlogging.
Raise pots up off the ground to aid drainage.

What is the best fertilizer for clay soil?

The best fertilizer for clay soil is organic material, such as manures, compost and moistened peat moss. Spread 2 inches of each material on the soil each fall and till to a depth of 12 inches. Till soil when it is slightly moist, but not soggy. Working wet clay soil will further compact it.

Is clay soil alkaline or acidic?

Generally speaking, clay soil is not necessarily more acidic than sandy or loamy soil. "Clay" defines the soil's texture, not its acidic or alkaline pH level. However, clay soil acts acidic in a number of ways even when it is not actually acidic, and there are some cases where the two properties are connected.