Soil Building on 9 Acres in Central Texas: Test First, Then Amend

A landowner plans to use grass clippings as backfill and apply dry molasses, fish emulsion, corn gluten meal, greensand, lava sand. Advice:

1. Test soil first at A&L Plains Lab (Lubbock, 806‑763‑4278).
2. Likely alkaline — add gypsum to lower pH and supply calcium.
3. Compost grass clippings before incorporating; layering raw grass creates unmixed zones.
4. Skip corn gluten meal — it prevents seed germination (counterproductive for planting natives).
5. Use blood meal for nitrogen, gypsum, kelp meal.

Resources: avant-gardening.com.

— The Long Island Gardener