Has anybody had the pleasure of this sticky red mud they call soil in the Black Hills?

Question

What do I do?

It's slippery as well !!

Answer 1

Wait until it dries before you chip it off

Answer 2

Yeah, lots of areas have that killer red clay. It may contain betonite, but it is not caliche.....that's calcium carbonate.

Clay soils, that is those with a large % of clay particles (versus say, sandy-clay-loam) is tough because the microscopic clay particles are rather like saucers in shape and we know what happens to a stack of wet saucers, they stick together. You have little or no air space between the soil particles which is why growing plants is so difficult.

Sometimes one wonders if they don't have ideal clay for pots instead of gardens.

The only solution is organic matter.......compost, some (not a lot) of manure (salt in manure is a real problem), dry grass clippings, hay, leaves, etc turned into the soil regularly will loosen those wet saucer like particles. But remember, it takes far less time to lose the benefits of organic ammendments that it did to build the good soil. That's why I stress regular ammenments. Twice a year at least. (whatever you do, don't add sand!!!! Heavy clay soils would need about 7 feet of sand on top of them and turned into the top 18 inches to have any effect on the structure and drainage. That's how dramatic the difference in soil size is. Anything less makes a near perfect natural concrete.

On the good side, clay particles are rich in nutrients.

In time as the soil becomes looser you'll find yourself spending less time scraping clay off hoes, shovels, shoes, etc.

Finally, contact your Extension Service and inquire about betonite possibility. If present, keep moisture away from your house foundation!! The shrink and swell in betonite can cause foundations to break. On the safe side, avoid close in foundation plantings, use drip irrigation, and make sure root runoff is directed away from the house quickly, no puddles. Keep your foundations dry!

Answer 3

No sorry. We had a small patch of sticky red mud in texas.
I just mixed it with some potting soil and not all the plants
that I planted in it liked it so you might need to try something
else.

Answer 4

not quite the same, but close, is the stuff in my yard in NC that I can make pottery out of..... to get a 'soil' there, it took loads of compost and some soil conditioner... which is very finely shredded pine bark mixed with some gypsum and sharp sand..... three wheelbarrows of compost to a bag of soil conditioner and a wheelbarrow of native 'red clay soil' and mixed together , gave me something I could grow my foundation plants in.... of course, I did this all around the house so that's for about every three square ft.... or wheelbarrow chunk!... *smile*.... did I say LOTS of compost?..yep... have it delivered by dump truck if you have a lot of area to cover... do NOT use peat moss no matter what anyone tells you.... peat moss and our clay soil makes bricks when it dries out and you cannot re-wet the moss....

once planted, top-dress around your plants and trees yearly in fall with more compost... the worms will come and carry it down into the soil to renew the goodness of it.... this will also change the pH of your soil a little, so before you invest in a lot of plants, take a soil test to your extension office and have the soil tested to see if it needs another addition or if it's in good shape.... well composted manure is another thing that you can add to get it a little better nutrient wise...... all this has to be mixed in, tilled in before you plant anything... and if you can let the bed 'rest' for a few seasons, all the better....I know it's hard to till this stuff, but you really gotta get that compost down at least a foot to give the new plants someplace to send out roots to....
another good idea is to work mostly with plants that are native to your area.... they're used to growing in this red mess....without a lot of ammendment... altho, WITH some ammending, they're a bit more exuberant!!... *smile*....
while you'[re getting that soil test, ask at the extension office for a list of plants that will do well for you... they're there to help you... get to know them!!!.... much luck to you!!!....ps...don't think you can do this one year and have gorgeous soil the next... this takes time.... I've been here for 12 years and only just now have what I call 'forest soil' in my beds... but I'm an avid digger and plopper.... and constantly adding to my garden's 'stuff'.... if that's what you're going to be, too, you'll enjoy it.... if you want instant gratification, it will help you some, but won't ever be perfect..... it's all in what you really want it to be.....

Answer 5

This is called caliche..It is impossible to grow most plants in it for it seals it off and smothers the roots not allowing nitrogen and other nutrients to get to the plants.. I suggest calling around to garden centers or soil and gravel places and getting what is called "mushroom compost" and have A ttruckload brought in as I did..have it mixed with sand and mushroom compost 50/50..do not use mushroom compost straight for it si too "sweet"..and wioll burn the plants...I am now in Florida but from Texas, and we have alot of caliche as well..it goes from tan,red,light brown to black..I made raised gardens and built themm on top of the caliche..You want at least a 12 inch build of your sand and mushroom compost...You can buy mushroom compost by the bag at alot of stores but this is way expensive this way/..I paid about 140.00 for a dump truck load..

Answer 6

In that area it is probably bentonite. I had the privilege of seeing a lot of in in MT.
Yes it is slippery and they do use it to lubricate drilling heads.
Let it dry and chip it off, or wash it off boots and shoes with a hose....
Don't go driving or walking across a large area of it when it is wet.

Answer 7

I had the pleasure when I was traveling through there a couple yrs ago...I loved it!!
But if I had to put up with it everyday...I don't know what I would do!!

Answer 8

Yes. I have. And honestly I find nothing of value in it. And I make use of anything I can. If you find any benefit to it plz be sure to let me know. Otherwise it makes me want to punch something. Anything. Lol. As far as what to do. You tolerate it. Is all we can do.

Answer 9

I know a few other places that have red mud as well- and it's a bear to clean, or to work. If you want to work it, you'll want to add compost and sand to loosen it up.

Answer 10

Oklahoma is famous for it!