Gardening Question from Sylvia:

In your book So. CA Gardening-Month-by-Month, you mention using the above product to help with compacted clay soil, turning the soil into “a loose growing medium containing adequate water and oxygen”. I want to use it in my clay soil in North Park/San Diego but haven’t found a supplier. Would you be able to recommend a source? Thank you for all your solid advice you provide for us SO CA gardeners.

Answer from Pat:

The volume of my book to which you refer is eleven years out of date. When I wrote the current edition of that book I removed reference to all products no longer on the market. I am sorry to inform you thus that the product you found in my book is no longer made or distributed in the USA.

It took me two years to write the current fully updated and corrected edition of my book which was published in 2010. The title was changed slightly, also, since it is now all organic. The latest edition is called “Pat Welsh’s Southern California Organic Gardening Month by Month. I think you would find it worth your while to get a copy of this newer edition.

Regarding clay soil in North Park, I recommend applying soluble gypsum once or twice a year and then working in a great deal of composted organic matter also. It is okay even to top the ground with manure in fall.