Putting Down Some Pelletized Gypsum - Beds and Lawn

Posting this mostly as a reminder to myself here in the [garden diary] that I recently put down 80 lbs of pelletized gypsum.  Both on the front lawn and in the beds that I've planted around the foundation.  The instructions recommend applying this stuff at the rate of 40 lbs per 1,000 square feet, but I didn't do that.  I have about 15,000 square feet of landscape and that would require 15 bags.  I bought two and decided to concentrate on the beds and the front sod.  I didn't do the parkway area, but I intend to go back to Menards later this Fall to pick up a few more bags so I can do the parkway and driveway areas. Why? Because of the product benefits that the bag lists is the neutralization of roadway salt.

But, why did I put this stuff down in the first place?  Well, the actual science is marginal.  I've read things on the Web that both say:  it helps and it doesn't help any.  But, see the first bullet point on the front of the bag in the photo up top?

"Helps loosen Compacted Clay Soils."

Welp, I have plenty of those.

So, I loaded up the spreader and threw the stuff down.  On top of the mulch in the beds.  I even threw a bunch of the stuff around a few of the trees that I *know* are planted in clay.  Frankly...everything is planted in clay that is right around our house.

Marking it down here in the garden diary so I remember what I did in the years to come.  From what I can tell, those who say that it works rely on applying the stuff at the right weight (A LOT OF IT!) and doing it every year.