What can I do with really rich soil?

[JohnAndSancho]

Let's just hypothetically say that someone was an idiot and mixed up a really rich soil blend with lots of compost and some fertilizer added to potting soil because, lets say, they were trying to get lots of growth out of some bananas before fall. And let's assume it backfired and never dried out. Sure I can cut it with more coco coir and perlite, but what else could I grow in this anabolic steroid mix? Hypothetically of course. 

[sonoranfans]

I have not found that adding coco coir to muddy soil helps much.  Perlite yes, it improves drainage and prevents soil compaction(keeps oxygen in the soil).    Add 1/4 perlite and see how that works.   More perlite at the bottom reduce the moisture vs depth issue.  Soil can be dry up top and wet down below, not good.   Just know the dry cycle of your soil. compare top moisture with bottom hole to the touch to see the difference.  If the dry cycle is too long and it will be oxygen depleted, too short it may dry out too quickly.  I have used coco coir with only perlite(no muck)( to good effect but mucky soil plus coco coire has not been a winner for me.  

[JohnAndSancho]

2 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

I have not found that adding coco coir to muddy soil helps much.  Perlite yes, it improves drainage and prevents soil compaction(keeps oxygen in the soil).    Add 1/4 perlite and see how that works.   More perlite at the bottom reduce the moisture vs depth issue.  Soil can be dry up top and wet down below, not good.   Just know the dry cycle of your soil. compare top moisture with bottom hole to the touch to see the difference.  If the dry cycle is too long and it will be oxygen depleted, too short it may dry out too quickly.  I have used coco coir with only perlite(no muck)( to good effect but mucky soil plus coco coire has not been a winner for me.  

I might use it for willow cuttings. Willows love muck, and after watching a YouTube of a guy propogating some FAT branches in under a week, just cut a bunch of FAT branches off one of the trees in the backyard. Let them start some roots in water and as soon as I see white, plop them in grow bags and we go from there. I should have some nice saplings ready to sell by spring. 

[Johnny Palmseed]

Coco coir tends to hold moisture. You definitely don’t want to add it to mucky soil.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, Johnny Palmseed said:

Coco coir tends to hold moisture. You definitely don’t want to add it to mucky soil.

I found another use for the super rich muck. 

[SeanK]

Wouldn't sand help?

[JohnAndSancho]

4 minutes ago, SeanK said:

Wouldn't sand help?

I tried sand once and it was a mess. It all sank to the bottom and clogged the drain holes in my pots. Maybe I didn't mix it well enough, maybe it was too fine of a sand, I don't know. 

[tim_brissy_13]

34 minutes ago, SeanK said:

Wouldn't sand help?

Sand + muck can be a risk and sort of solidify into a sort of concrete. 
 

I’d suggest some porous rock based material would be best for addition like perlite as suggested or maybe something like pumice. 

[DoomsDave]

Add perlite! 

[DoomsDave]

6 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I might use it for willow cuttings. Willows love muck, and after watching a YouTube of a guy propogating some FAT branches in under a week, just cut a bunch of FAT branches off one of the trees in the backyard. Let them start some roots in water and as soon as I see white, plop them in grow bags and we go from there. I should have some nice saplings ready to sell by spring. 

Hope your buyers have plenty of space and not those Porno Valley postage stamp lots.

[JohnAndSancho]

6 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Hope your buyers have plenty of space and not those Porno Valley postage stamp lots.

Oh that doesn't exist here. This area is mostly old money farm and timber acreage. 

[sonoranfans]

13 hours ago, SeanK said:

Wouldn't sand help?

Sand does not help soil compaction.  Water wont flow if air cant get in.  A potted plant has much more risk with muck as most drainage pathways are blocked by plastic.  A plant in the ground has a hemisphere of potential drainage pathways.  Get the perlite and watch the water cycle.  The thing about muck is it is compressible and when compressed it forces the air out.  If you compress vermiculite its like a spring, it bounced back, resisting compaction.  

[JohnAndSancho]

3 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

Sand does not help soil compaction.  Water wont flow if air cant get in.  A potted plant has much more risk with muck as most drainage pathways are blocked by plastic.  A plant in the ground has a hemisphere of potential drainage pathways.  Get the perlite and watch the water cycle.  The thing about muck is it is compressible and when compressed it forces the air out.  If you compress vermiculite its like a spring, it bounced back, resisting compaction.  

Oh this stuff would be great to amend the native soil for a banana hole. Not so sure about a palm hole, but a couple handfuls of this crap rolled into the clay and loam would be nanner heaven. The willows are gonna love it.