Starting up poor soils

I'm looking at buying property in a valley with great soil, but in an area with quite a bit of sand and clay, thin good layer on the top. The land has yet to be cleared of the scrub. There are dogwoods/roses/alders/cottonwoods and cedars all over it.
Going to have lots of plants, including fruit trees etc.
It's 5+ acres. What would be the best way to improve the soil? I would rather not truck soil in as it's much too big an area. I was planning to mulch the areas I need immediately, and just continue doing that over the areas needed. But that will take forever!
I would need about 0.5-1 acre improved early as I'm dying to get it going, but long term I expect to have a nursery, ideally not all in pots.
If you have any suggestions, or if this wouldn't be worth buying in this case please let me know. Thanks!

COMPOST,COMPOST,COMPOST!
If you have a source for leaves in the fall shred them and till them into to the soil.

Organic Material is the best soil conditioner you can get.

Paul

Thanks Paul!
The lots adjacent are wooded, I can likely get plenty there, plus lots and lots of grass clippings from my business.
Do you know about the ashes left after piles of scrub get burned? I wonder if it's spread out, if it is actually a good thing or a bit potent.
Thanks.

Dennis; How wonderful for you. Congratulations! I know you will have many years of enjoyment toiling in the fields. I agree any organic matter would be beneficial. I use wood ash around many of my slug appetizers but I think I read somewhere that too much can be a problem. Reasearch that first. Possibly talk with Francisca Darts of Darts Hill which was scrub forest that they cleared over many years. Should give you a long term overview versus what is in fashion at present. Also, of course there is much to be learned right here on DG. Good Luck: Dawn

Start a worm farm.

The by products of raising worms will turn your valley into Eden.

Adam.

Adam, even on such a large scale? Imagine how impressed everyone would be!

Dennis don't use too many ashes as it will make the soil more acidic.
The first thing to do is get a soil test.
That will tell you alot.
Then in 2-3 years get another one, you will be amazed at the improvement.

Paul

Here is some information regarding using ash in garden soil.

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/bestwoodash.html

http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/garden/composting/woodash.html

As you can see, the quantity you use, and the wood you burn (especially if the wood has been treated, painted, varnished, finished, etc), is critical.

I am strongly biased in favor of adding organic matter via composting, vermicomposting, etc. It takes time. It requires consistency. It works.

As PaulGrow mentioned it, I am also including a scan of a soil analysis I had done last Autumn

Thank you both Paul and Aotearoa. It sounds like with me doing this as a one time application, there will be some benefits. In addition to composting of course. Ash won't turn clay into humus.
Can vermiculture can done on such a large peice of land? Is it practical?
Now something else quite off topic. No I'll start another header for this! Thanks everyone.

Vermiculture involves raising the worms in beds, tubs, containers, etc. They live and feed at high density in one location. You convert their byproducts (their excretions and their cocoons), into soil amendments and distribute them.

One thing that is done is to use the vermiculture by~products to make a "tea" that is then sprayed or poured on soil. This stuff is, literally, liquid gold.

Here is an average dry~matter analysis of my own worm tea derived from HPLC Spectra~chromatographic analysis as performed by my wife:

Potassium Oxide ..... 2.600%
Potash ...................... 1.140%
Nitrogen......................0.290%
Calcium...................... 0.250%
Sulfur.......................... 0.200%
Iron.............................. 0.077%
Magnesium................ 0.049%
Boron.......................... 0.002%
Copper....................... 0.001%
Manganese.................0.001%
Zinc............................. 0.001%

The average pH of the solution is 6.5

These are, essentially, all the micro~nutrients plants require to effectively carry on their metabolic business of absorbing the macro~nutrients from the soil and photosynthesis.

A bonus to worm tea is that these micro~nutrients come in a solution that also includes humic acid, a complex organic molecule that provides the positive ions required in your soil matrix for plants to absorb these things.

Pretty good, eh?

There is, however, no miracle cure for challenging growing environments (I have one of those, too). Any course of action you choose will involve planning, investment, time, labor, patience and the cooperation of nature. My own thinking has been that is is better to go with nature's flow rather than trying to reinvent a system that's functioned pretty well for a few billion years.

;~)

Adam.

You're right Adam. That's great info on the nutrient breakdown. Being nearly 8 acres, it won't work for all of it, but I would be thrilled to get it going in a vege/orchard area, I know I could make enough castings to make a difference in select area. Thanks for your help.

I have a large area of sandy and clay soil. We call it gumbo. I have read that it is better not to till up the clay that it makes it worse. Organic matter will attract worms and they will help the soil. I have done both added organic (horse manure, composted material, and organic topsoil) and added the deep digging worms from a friends yard. I also have my own worm bin inside for the castings and tea. I have been working on this land for almost 2 years and have a long way to go. I have almost the same amount of land.
The land here makes me wish for the fertile land my mother had in Western KY. She only had to apply lime on occasion.

Delisa

I read quite an interesting article in a Seeds of Change newsletter about amending poor soil with cover crops. I don't remember what issue it was, probably in 2002, but they have been adding older newsletters to their website. http://www.seedsofchange.com/cutting_edge/enewsletter.asp?UID=2003061806214575

Dennis, check out www.seasoil.com

We have been using this product this year and are very impressed with it, both inside and out. Not available in your area, but in the lower mainland. There is a store locator on the website. Probably not available in quantities you want. We hauled in a a few small loads just with our half ton and used it up very quickly just adding into our soil.
Just for your information.

Glenda

I don't know how much money you want to invest in improving your soil. Here's a "compost tea maker."

http://www.soilsoup.com/goodMorningAmerica/index.html