For people who wish to start a garden but are dealing with a lawn composed of impacted, non-porous clay soil, gypsum is an affordable and organic way of sufficiently altering soil composition. Clay soil is decidedly vegetation-unfriendly, as its non-porousness causes problems of poor drainage, compaction and occasional rot. Gypsum minerals excel at creating a healthy, breathable soil in which to start a garden.
Composition
Gypsum is a mineral composed of calcium, sulfur, oxygen, and two molecules of water. It works through the process of de-aggregation, or "breaking up" clay soil, by working its way in between the particles of clay. By forcing its way into and among the clay particles, gypsum loosens the impacted, clumping nature of clay soil. In the process, the soil becomes more healthy and porous, allowing air and water to work its way into normally impenetrable clay soil.
By applying gypsum to clay soil two to three times a year, a treated, non-porous area can be sufficiently loosened as much as a half-foot below surface level.
Amount
The general recommendation for applying dry gypsum to clay soil is to initially add somewhere between 20 to 30 lbs. of gypsum for every 100 square feet of area. An additional 50 lbs. of gypsum for every 1,000 square feet is recommended for every subsequent year following the initial application. Because gypsum works as a soil loosener and clay particle separator, simply sprinkling it over a future garden bed will accomplish nothing; gypsum needs to be tilled into clay soil.
Limitations
Immediate positive results shouldn't be expected with gypsum. The bad news is that while gypsum is highly effective at breaking up clay soil, it could take two to three years of occasional re-application and retilling before the clay soil is able to grow anything. Gypsum should also not be mistaken for plant fertilizer. It contains very little in the way of major plant nutrients, so other plant fertilizers will have to be applied to the treated area in addition to any gypsum you till into your future garden.
Flowers
Azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons and other acid-loving plants such as magnolia and wintergreen grow well in areas where gypsum is added because it is neutral and the pH doesn't change, according to humeseeds.com. These types of plants also need calcium. Gypsum is not harmful to human being or animals and does not burn but make sure it is applied according to the directions.
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