Natures Care Soil Floats

I am ATTEMPTING to make a walstad tank. So I got natures care soil, sifted it and decided to soak it. A lot of it floated. So, in frustration I went to my garden and dug up some soil, I have never fertelized my yard, and as far as I know the previous owner never did plus I got the soil was used for a garden and is not an area where fertelizers would be used. Diana walstad says she digs up her dirt, if she can do it why can't I

 

I dig up my own dirt for tanks. So far all 4 dirted tanks are fine and all have been dirted for over a year. I used dirt from the woods behind my house. No fertilizers, pesticides etc and you should be fine.

 

Okay thanks, I am going to soak it just to make sure that nothing that I don't want gets into my tank

 

There’s no reason that soak it(the soil you bought). Diana doesn’t re-mineralize her soil from what i’ve read. Just sift out the soil, dump it into your tank and wet it down to a moldable clay like texture(no wet puddles) then cap. It seems like you’re making it more complicated than it really is(so did I). it really isn’t though.

 

Well, the soil floats and even if I cap it, I have a feeling that it will still float

It seems like you’re making it more complicated than it really is(so did I). it really isn’t though.

Yeah, I probably am

 

your soil should only be wet enough to make it into a mold-able texture. If it's floating before you cap it you've put too much water in. Lay your "just barely wet" soil into your tank and place it how you want, then cap then hardscape and plant etc. That should work

 

Well, the soil floats and even if I cap it, I have a feeling that it will still float

Here’s what I did.

Sift big wood chips, then dumped into the tank.



Wet it down and mix it.



Cap it, scape how you want, then fill as slow as possible.



Plant as it fills up and you’re done. Do big water changes for a few days after you’re done.



Oh and clean the edges and glass from any soil, that’s what usually makes the water dirty even if you do it right.

 

bryangar thanks so much!!! I am def making everything more complicated than it has to be

 

@byrangar sorry, but what kind of cap or gravel did you use?

 

@byrangar sorry, but what kind of cap or gravel did you use?

Eco complete and a bag of walmart gravel, 2-3 inches each.

 

thanks, how big was the walmart gravel

 

thanks, how big was the walmart gravel

It’s a good size. Plants root well and the dirt stays put.
Here’s what it looks like.

 

Thanks! I'm using my fourite

 

Demeter, do you soak your dirt before putting it in your tanks?

 

Nope, just made it a thick mud and put it in the empty tank, then cap it with sand and fill the tank up.