Piedmont North Carolina soil contains copious amounts of red clay.
The sticky substance produces fine pottery, but it presents a challenge for landscapers and gardeners. With a few adjustments, though, it can become a good growing medium.
Any soil consists of clay, silt, and sand. When soil contains a large portion of clay, its particles are too close together, and the soil’s minimal pore space doesn’t allow for water, air, or root growth. “The mineral content [of clay] provides good nutrients,” says Margaret Genkins, a North Carolina Extension Master Gardener volunteer. “What you want to do is loosen it up and create that pore space.” Here are five suggestions on how to work with or around the red clay on your property. —Leah Hughes
1. TEST YOUR SOIL
Esta historia es de la edición Fall 2016 de Charlotte Home & Garden.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición Fall 2016 de Charlotte Home & Garden.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
An Antique Garden
Building a historic garden for a historic home
Make Water Conservation A Habit
Make Water Conservation A Habit
Back-To-School Saviors
Back-to-school excitement can also breed some serious chaos in your home, with extra paperwork, bookbags, uniforms, and more taking over most spaces. Organizing it all in a way that actually makes sense—and is easy to find again—can be dizzying. Here, five local designers share their tips on how to get back-to-school organized.
From Bright Lights To Bold Strokes
Erika Eckerson was a broke TV news anchor with a bare living room wall in her Myrtle Beach apartment when she decided to buy a canvas, acrylic paint, and some brushes.
A Merry Manor
Brittany and Steve Clyne want their guests to feel cozy
Sitting Pretty
Olivia Smith started as an intern at Traditions the summer before her senior year at Olivet Nazarene University, the Illinois school where she studied interior design.
A Glamorous Era
As a member of a religious and ethnic minority in a Southern town, Robert Goldberg, a Jewish man, knew discrimination.
In the Family
Lane Brown designs a home for her parents.
Playing Architect
A homeowner has a modern vision for a traditional home.
City Chicks
When I brought three chicks home last spring, I expected fresh eggs to be the biggest reward. But Mildred, Barbara, and Mamie Lee—a Barred Rock, Columbian Wyandotte, and Easter Egger— have also become beloved family pets, following me around, perching on the porch swing, peering in the window and eating mealworms out of my hands.
