The Word on Worms and Septic Tanks

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I am trying to garden on sand. I realize that organic material is required, but I also wonder if the addition of kitty litter to my compost would enhance the soil's ability to retain water. Are there any negatives that 1 should know about? Can you suggest something better that I could add to improve my soil's water retention?

PAUL
Holland Landing, Ontario Our family used to garden in upper Michigan, not far from your Ontario sand. What passes for soil there drains well, and that's about all we can say about it.

There are a number of strikes against using kitty litter the way you've suggested. First of all, you never know what the stuff will consist of. The best litter is superheated, expanded clay, but it often contains added scent and other impurities; lower-grade litter is nothing but dyed, perfumed and oiled sawdust. Kitty litter that has already been used for its intended purpose carries additional dangers - cats can carry undetected diseases and parasites that can be dangerous to humans. And, even in bulk, kitty litter is an expensive consumer good.

A better bet would be an expanded-mineral soil additive such as Perlite or Vermiculite. Cheaper than litter, they are designed to help soil hold water and they're available by the bale from any nursery. Even less expensive is good Canadian peat. If sweetened with a sprinkling of Canadian ground limestone and tilled in with compost or other fertilizer (peat has practically no plant-food value), the mixture will turn sand to soil practically overnight and keep Canada green in more ways than one. If you lack the time, tools, cash or inclination to enrich the entire garden all at once, mix limed and enriched peat with an equal part of sand in each planting row or hole. That's the way we converted our Michigan sand wedge to a garden - over the course of 40 years.

We live in a mountain valley, at an elevation of 6,500 feet - so we have a very high water table. We're having trouble setting fence posts because the holes we dig quickly fill up with groundwater.

What is the best way to set the posts? Pump out the water and quickly fill with quick-settingcement? Any help you can give us would be appreciated.

NANCY
Bozeman, Montana

Don't even think about trying to set fence posts in the spring. Since you live in the Montana highlands, you probably still have a heap of roof-fallen snow in the north-side shadow of the barn. You didn't mention that the land being fenced contains a pond or a permanent bog, so I'll assume it's a pasture.

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