Turface in a lasagna garden?

[meatburner]

Will be starting a lasagna garden raised bed in the next week or so and have a question. I have about 50 lbs of Turface and wandered if that would that be a good additive to sprinkle around while building the bed? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
Keith

[zabby17]

meatburner,

(Why I even talk to you I don't know because your avatar photo always makes me SO HUNGRY! )

Most of my gardening ahs been done in lasagne-created raised beds, and I've used quite a range of materials to create them.

I haven't heard of Turface but a quick Google search suggests it's a clay-based product. Does that sound like what you have?

The answer I think depends on what kind of soil you have underneath. If your soil is naturally very sandy (mine here right by the shores of Lake Ontario is), I'd think it could be a good component in modest amounts to contribute to a balanced texture. Clay is somewhat water retentive, and mixed with lots of fluffier things like peat, and lots of more nutrient-rich things like compost or manure or compostables.

But if your soil is already clay-based, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case in much of Missouri, I think it's the last thing you want. In Toronto, only a few hours away from where I live now, my soil was very heavily clay-y, and my raised beds' biggest advantage there was to get AWAY from that heavy, muddy texture to something that drained better.

Whatever's in your native soil will eventually get mixed in some with your lasagne additives (thank you, worms), so if you'll be getting clay from underneath, I'd skip it in the adding and go heavier on the peat and compostables.

But maybe someone else here has experience with actual Turface?

Z
P.S. What else is going into your layers? How high will they be? I'm a big fan of lasagne gardening 'cos I'm way too lazy to dig!

[meatburner]

LOL "Z", I have lots of food pics on fb. Love to cook and bbq. Thanks for your advise. Our soil here is pretty nice and not clay. Layers will be newspaper/cardboard (whatever I can scrounge up), peat, compost, straw, kitchen compost, perlite, coffee grounds, pine bark fines, some dolomite, bone meal, etc. Just about anthing I have around. I just happened to have a bag of Turface and looking for a use for it. Generally, moisture is not an issue except in mid summer. My gut feeling is to leave it out. Thanks for your advise.

[RayR]

Turface is a manufactured product, it is a porous hard ceramic material made by firing weathered volcanic silica montmorillinite or illite clays. It would be fine for breaking up heavy soils with fine clay particles, increasing porosity and drainage. It would work similar ro expanded shale and degrades extremely slowly, lasting for many many decades.

[zabby17]

mb,

Your ingredients sound perfect and I can't see that you'd need the Turface, but with all that stuff to lighten it up I don't see how it would do harm, and it would add bulk.

I love how an awful lot of things are all "the right answer" in gardening.... ;-p

Happy lasagne!

Z

[meatburner]

Thanks Ray and Z. I plan on getting the beds ready soon and try a fall crop in part of it at least. I still have a couple big bags of leaves from last fall and some garden soil to use up and get new in fall. Thanks again.

edit: I do have another question if you don't mind. Would you advise using the soil from self-watering contains in the fall as an addition. One tomato plant developed "gray wall" which I will not use though.

[fortyonenorth]

Turface holds water, but releases it readily to plant roots. I don't see how you could go wrong based on the amount you plan to use and the type of soil you describe.

[meatburner]

Thanks fortyone. I might go ahead and start the beds and work them a month or so and see how the moisture holds out and then decide.

[meadowyck]

sorry my post wasn't related to your topic.

[meatburner]

So, how is the Turface as an addition to a lasagna bed relate to what you are talking about in my original OP?
My opology if I missed something.

[meatburner]

Hi everyone! I got my seeds from Baker Creek yesterday and am going crazy thinking about spring getting closer. It popped off a beautiful 60 degree day after everything being frozen for the last few weeks. Here is the last pic of the garden just prior to harvesting a first time fall crop last November. Wow was it awsome. No pests or diseases and the crop was the best I have ever had. I did top off all the boxes with garden soil, mushroom compost, shreaded wheat straw, then topped with a thin layer of my finished compost and a couple inches of shreaded fall leaves. Haven't touched it until today. Pulled back a couple spots of leaves and found rich almost black soil. I am so excited about planting this spring. I promised myself to not rush things. That may be next to impossible. lol
Headed to Lowe's in a few minutes to get the lumber for two more 4 x 8 beds to get put together and start filling up over the next few months. Wishing everyone a great next few months starting seeds, winter sowing, and dreaming of spring planting.

Oh, I did not use the turface after all.

[TightenUp]

looking good! keep us posted