Question
We moved into our house last year and just now started making a garden in our backyard. The ground is very compacted clay. We had to remove a layer of weed control material that was under river rock. The soil underneath has a layer of a white powdery substance that we have no idea what it could be. We are constructing a terrace garden for vegtables and are putting a layer of amended topsoil over the clay soil. What we were needing to know is if the white layer in the soil would be harmful to the plants we put in? Should we remove that layer?  Thank You

Answer
Hi Patrice,

The white layer is perfectly harmless to plants. What you are seeing is fungi en mass.  The white is the mycelium of the fungi.  

Simply apply new topsoil of the top and then cultivate soil to mix new and old soil.

Hope this helps.

PS sorry about the wait in getting back to you.


Rgds,

Dr Dean Marston.