Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Not a whole sidewalk but a slab to experiment. It was 2x4s, unreinforced.
Sources say avoid soil with organic matter, plant roots etc; use plain
dirt. I used 10% Portland, 90% dirt, and after mixing it thoroughly I added
water gradually and mixed to get it to a consistency to pour. Like any
concrete don't let it freeze for a few days until it cures. Water and
Portland content may vary so you need to experiment. This is a lot cheaper
than regular cement mix but for a sidewalk I'd use remesh in it. Now
Portland is the more expensive bag around $7-8 here, but the regular bag
mix runs around $3 and is used straight, so with 90% of your mix being soil
the soil cement is much cheaper than regular concrete. Prices are about to
change dramatically tho.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 1/22/2008 at 9:16 AM Elizabeth B. wrote:

>Paul when you made your cement sidewalk, did you pour using 2x4 forms and
>did you reinforce it with wire? 
>
>I need something along the line of city sidewalks that are 4 ft wide and
>4" high. Can I get away with buying bags of top soil and adding the
>portsmouth? Would the ratio still be 10% portsmouth to say, one 40 lb bag
>of top soil? 
>
>Elizabeth 
>Able Farm and Ranch 
>