Actabacta and heavy clay
Last post 17-07-2009 7:36 PM by clive. 3 replies.
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07/01/2009 07:18 PM
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- Anthea
- Herefordshire
- 07 Jan 2009
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Some years ago a brilliant gardening friend of mine introduced me to stuff called Actabacta - or something like that - which was a black powdery stuff which you sprinkled onto heavy clay and it broke it down after a year or so. It worked really well and lasted for ages. I have now moved house and left the remains of the sack behind for the new owners. (Thinking about it they have probably thrown it away which is a tragedy!) Where I have moved to also has heavy clay and I am trying to make a garden out of virgin field. I could really use this stuff but cannot find it anywhere. Can any of you help me or let me know what it was made of so I can try and recreate it.
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07/01/2009 07:46 PM
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- miranda
- Oxfordshire
- 17 Nov 2004
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2,923
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The main product that I'm aware of these days is called Clay Breaker, made by Vitax. I believe it's actually gypsum, whatever that is. I haven't used it myself but the reports are good and you'd use it in the same way as this Actabacta that you used before. There's a page about it here and a pdf of extra information: http://www.vitax.co.uk/productshome.asp?product=HSC004
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08/01/2009 08:16 AM
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Adding calcium in the form of gypsum (calcium sulphate) will increase the ammount of calcium in the soil without affecting pH. If the clay is short of calcium adding gypsum may floculate the clay minerals, but if the clay is not short of calcium then gypsum will have no effect. Test a small area first. Many clays will not respond to gypsum, but others will.
If you have an acid clay then adding lime will amend the pH and have the same effect on structure.
Boggy
Beware the bat-eared bogweevil
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17/07/2009 07:36 PM
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- clive
- London
- 17 Jul 2009
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AFAIK Acta Bacta is no longer available. The point about ACTA-Bacta is that is could create as much humus as 20 barrows of compost. It was without doubt a wonderful product, able to break up clay soil by sprinkling the top soil. No digging in. It was sold by Easi Gro (Tiptoe) Ltd but I think Pelco Fertilizers Ltd took it over.
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