Benjamin Franklin advocated the use of gypsum in his botanical writings.
Gypsum is considered an all-around soil amendment for use with clay soils. Gypsum has been widely used for centuries to improve soil's ability to grow plants. It is particularly useful in compacted soils such as clay to not only fertilize the clay with calcium and sulfur, but also to improve the movement of air and water around the root structure of plants, contributing to their healthy growth.
Instructions
1. Turn the soil with the garden hoe to break up large chunks of clay that are stuck together.
2. Apply the gypsum to the garden at a rate of 20 pounds per 100 square feet of garden soil. Spread the gypsum out over the entire broken-up surface of the garden soil to help ease the task of mixing it with the clay.
3. Mix the gypsum with the existing clay first using the garden hoe, and then the rake, until the gypsum is thoroughly mixed with the clay. No further care is necessary to introduce gypsum into your garden.
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