malt25 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Evenin all. Some assistance please. I'm trying to buy some gypsum powder, as in for breaking up heavy, clay type ground. My local agricultural outlet has dolomite & lime in stock, however I can't get them to understand gypsum. Can anyone recommend a Thai script name or some way I can try & source. I'm in Sakon Nakhon province. Thanks all in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FEBiochar Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I suggest broadening your options... why not try producing your own biochar. Much bigger bang for your buck (or free, if you have biomass & time). Check out WarmHeart activity near Chiang Mai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickstart Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 malt25 Have a word with farmerjo ,he brought some 18 months ago , from a place in Saraburi province ,he lives near Khon Kaen. Gypsum is the same word the Thai's use , with a rising tone ,if you have one ,it is in an English -Thai Dictionary. Unless ,as you live in Issan it is a diffrent word . Gypsum , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JungleBiker Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Thai's pronounce gypsum with a "y".... yipsum. And they know you can make ceilings with it. So they may wonder why you want to cover your soil with yipsum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerjo Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 If your only after a small amount,Global House carry it at most of their stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickstart Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 22 hours ago, JungleBiker said: Thai's pronounce gypsum with a "y".... yipsum. And they know you can make ceilings with it. So they may wonder why you want to cover your soil with yipsum! I would almost agree you ,before I come LOS gypsum as you said ,was put on the walls and celing of my house in the uk,never herd of it being put on the land ,but FJ seems to be getting some results ,so may be some thing in it ,as we know gypsum contains a lot of calcium ,anything put on this almost dead Thai land will do it a lot of good. The op's land is clay, a couple of crops of green manure ,would also do the land some good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooked Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Gypsum, quick lime and even cement are recommended for breaking down heavy soils . Basically these substances cause the platelets of clay minerals to clump together thus making the soil workable. However I have always hesitated to use these as clay is already alkaline and adding even more doesn't seem to be a good idea. Biochar, although it is great stuff, will also increase the alkalinity of the soil. For over 40 years my solution has been to add quartz sand, that is, river sand, which is slightly acidic. I have never worked it in, just distributed it around 1 to 2 cm thick and let it work itself in over time (weeding, digging, planting). Our garden can now be used in summer when it would otherwise bake hard as a brick, and in the rainy season when it used to turn into a disgusting sticky goo. There is still a corner where I need to add a little but otherwise it is a pleasure to work with. Green crops: this keeps coming up as a solution. Any organic material in this country that is worked into the soil will have completely disappeared in a month or two. THAT, or it will just sulk beneath an impermeable layer of clay and not do any good at all. I knew a resident gardener in Switzerland that dug in cow manure every winter for many years and he couldn't understand why the soil wasn't improving. Anyway farmers will evidently disagree as large areas need other solutions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerjo Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Since applying gypsum,subsoiling and continuously mowing my heavy clay land,nature is now playing its part. The worms are coming to play. I have one area of about 3 rai that is taking a lot longer to respond,i might try some sand on there. Where would the best place be to get the sand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooked Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Builders supply but make sure it's acidic (I use Vixol cleanser, 20% hydrochloric acid, if it doesn't fizz, it's acidic). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerjo Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Thanks for that,will try a small area as a test along side some gypsum. Only thing that concerns me Cooked is the price,as a guesstimate you would be looking at around 25 ton/rai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VocalNeal Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 4 hours ago, farmerjo said: The worms are coming to play. Cast of 1000's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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