clay

I have clay soil (well clay really) I am taking up a few slabs to make a little plant boarder but the clay underneath the flags is as hard a concrete. what can i add to the soil to improve it ? i am going to have to use a pick axe to break up the clay.

 

to loosen the soil, use a hose and flood the area .... wait a while for the water to settle and dig it over with a strong garden fork .... it will be a lot easier .... try and turn the soil at least 12 inches deep

add loads of well rotted farmyard manure combined with compost ... (I use John Innes number 3 compost (sometimes it is labeleled as Levingtons but has the John Innes number 3 formula ...

add the compost/manure mixture (50/50) once you have turned the soil ...

you can but large bags of organic well rotted farmyard manure and large bags of john innes number 3 compost from the garden centre (some garden centres near me are currently selling 3 bags for £10)

 

Don't turn your top 12 inches into a messy squish whatever you do, dig it out and replace with something better, and improve the drainage underneath so it doesn't become a sump.

 

interesting point (and I am still learning)

however, when it comes to planting bedding plants/perenials, I have always just turned the soil approx 12 inches deep, and added loads of compost/manure ... 50/50 ratio .... I have never removed the soil and replaced it with anything else (Cambridge is on clay)

I have been doing this for 3 years, and everything that I have planted has thrived, but I have taken note of your post

however, when it comes to planting trees/shrubs/palms etc, that is a whole different scenario .... I even use perlite etc when doing this and always dig very deep holes

 

Dave, if it is red clay, turn it over, using a spade, and let the frosts do the work of breaking it down. In the spring rake it level and treat with soil conditioner also add lots of compost and composted manure. During the growing season keep mulching the area. If, however, you have blue/grey clay, then it will need to be removed and replaced with good quality topsoil. Whatever you do, DO NOT flood the area with water, it will make the digging 100% harder.

 

I've always done that ... seems to go a lot quicker and a lot easier (especially when digging a deep hole when the ground is solid)?

 

Dim, you are better off digging clay dry, and with a spade rather than a fork.

 

Its grey and its got to go !!!

 

Dave, why not put the slabs back down and grow the plants you want in containers? It will save you work.

 

Is it a more blue than grey? Quite dense?

Had a similar problem when I lifted up a garage base that had been down for over 50 years. Buy yourself a trench spade (with a thin blade) as you're only digging a small hole a pick axe is a bit extreme unless the clay is really dense.

I've decided it would be much less hassle turning my 50 year old garage base into a nice patio with a pergola over the top. Much less holes to dig that way.

 

Following the recommendation of a certain guru zigmeister on this very site, I sorted my superhard clay problem with mushroom compost. I ordered a batch of 60x 50L sacks of the stuff, and its totally transformed the soil from useless compacted nastiness, to good soil. It was nice and cheap too, I think I paid about £160 in all, and that included delivery. You can get it a lot cheaper if you get it in a bulk bag, but that wasn't a practical option for me because there is no access by road or barrow to the back garden at my house, everything has to come through the house.