Iron pan soil ,tropical rainforest soil

[lebmung]

Being in zone 6, are you growing in pots? I'm on deep weathered red soils, but i wouldn't consider putting it in a pot, its a recipe for disaster.

a total disaster

[pineislander]

This last map shows the Yucatan Peninsula the same color as the rest of the tropics.  Why?  Almost the entire peninsula is calcareous.

Its similar with Pineislander example with Cockpit country.
There are bauxite mines in Yucatan peninsula as well as in the Cockpit Country ( wich i didnt mentioned by now not to look like im contradicting Pineislander).

Here is a nice link with the red soil of Yucatan peninsula.Nice pictures but the guy thinks eroneously that the iron pan layer was formed by a volcanic eruption.
Probably because he is not familiar with iron pans.https://www.backyardnature.net/yucatan/soil.htm

Many don't realize the forces which have influenced our earth. The soils of the Yucatan and indeed the whole earth itself was highly modified by the giant impact which caused the Cretaceous extinction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlakKWG27Ic

I used to work as Chief Engineer with the Montco company which recently drilled the impact crater and know the Liftboat L/B Myrtle shown in this video very well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZL-BeX3jZE

[SeaWalnut]

The asteroid hit was soo long ago that even the most of the calcium carbonate it moved ,was disolved allready by now ,leaving a trail of cenotes( sinkholes from disolved calcium carbonate  by rain) in the Yucatan peninsula.
The red layer in that link about Yucatan peninsula soil its not vulcanic or made by the asteroid.Its just a humble iron pan .

I will use this iron pan soil as a subrate in my pots and i will add a lot of it in holes in the ground in my greenhouse.
It is allready used for planted aquariums as a substrate that provides rich iron and the otther minerals that are colected after rain wash.
Here is a video about laterite( iron pan) used for aquarium plants.https://youtu.be/fkrDvdBMYII

Warning: these red soils draw phosphorus and they lock it making it non available for plants wich is why this soil is soo bad.
Both aluminum and iron oxides are excelent phosphorus binders and ive used them to clean water of phosphates to non detectable level by hobbyst measuring kits.
I assume that phosphorus cycle has special features on this red soil ,that its added little by little in constant ammount ,enough for the plants to take it before its binded by iron and aluminum.

[Guanabanus]

When you get the opportunity to visit the Yucatan Peninsula, you will find that most of the limestone that was ever there, is still there.
In most places that I saw, the yellowish or reddish clay is usually a thin layer over and between protruding limestone boulders.  Where irrigation is provided, this soil can be very fertile for fruit trees and other permaculture.

The cenotes result from cavern roof collapse.  All the rivers run underground.