Types of soil

You only have to go a few miles to find different types of soil in Vigo county.

West of Wabash river is stick to the shovel clay. You'll find old brick factories where they used the clay to make very hard brick. Factories have been closed for many years.

On the other side of river on north end of country is a black sandy soil that doesn't hold water after it rains. You can drive on your lawn and do little damage.

South end of country east of river the garden turns into mud after a rain, sticks to tires. A few days later soil drys became about 30 inches below is yellow sand and gravel. Some day this party of country will be a lake because we have a large sand and gravel company.

Now for the soil at friends 10 acre horse ranch at the north east part of county. They call this area Sand Cut. The high ground is yellow sand. The lower ground is black dirt that turns into mud and stays mud for a long time.

I'm guessing at one time the black dirt was a lake bed and black soil is like muck that holds water.

His horses need water wings. His water level is about 10 ft. He has a ditch on north side of property.

How much good would tile do to drain muck? You can remove a foot of mud and soil isn't muddy.

I'm thinking only solution is angle dirt to make rain go to ditch.

What do you think?

Ah the joys of living on an old glacial river terrace! I only remember the state FFA soils contest being in Vigo County once, but it was some messed up stuff. Yes some soils are best drained with surface drainage, especially if they have high clay which slows percolation into tiles. But tiles will theoretically work even with high water tables, as long as the water level in the ditch will stay below the grade of the land. I have a low, wet field that will pond in a few places after a rain, and I would like to have it leveled out and the low spots raised so that crops will not have to endure standing water. Not sure who has that kind of equipment around here.

I think we need to remove mud now and use it this summer when things dry out to divert water away from barn, house and driveway.

Then haul in gravel for drive. Gravel is half the price vs white rock. Gravel will pack in mud .

If it is a true muck soil it will rot down when drained. Eventually leaving the tile on top if enough time goes by. Plastic tile will float if there is water in the ditch while installing so need either somebody to hold them down while covering or to drain the ditch dry first.
Truly Muck soil will drain quite well if there is just a place for the water to go. Another words if it has a clay wall around it and you just pierce the wall with a tile it would dry out pretty good.

Just need a shovel on my place to find different soil. It's sugar sand over clay. Then 20 miles to the west there is black gumbo.

Don't let anyone know there is a puddle in your field. The Corps if Engineers will declare it a wetland and make you restore it.

Where are you living? Some of the folks in southern Ind are thinking of a get together this spring. Watch for details in a month or less. George yon also.

Gibson County here.

Lawrence County here.

In my part of southern Indiana it goes from high sand to mud in a hundred feet. I live real close the the east fork of the white river.

There are multiple soil types in virtually any county in this country. The same with most any farm in this country.

keeo watching tails for info on gathering

Whut JMS/.MN said...

Just before the depression my grandpal traded 800 acres for 80 plus some cash were I live now... It has some of the best soil you will find in the county.. Its rare to fine a rock and you gotta dig hard long and deep to find one..

You can go a mile either way and find rocks, sand, clay are sand clay...

The bad under the soil is clay and shale it holds water like a bowl...
Stay off the grass when its wet are you gonna get stuck..

This area use to claim it was the brick capital of the world but the 2008 recession ended that... BTW shale is what they make good brick out of not clay...

Folks that live in sand don't have to rock their driveway just drive on the sand... It all changed last year with record rain fall they now drive on black muck mud and need to get a running start to get out of their drive...