Without any experience, I am facing a ruined garden

blacktulip · Sep 3, 2014

noisette47 said: ↑
Here are some other options for subsoil improvement...(based on experience!)
Leave big clods of clay exposed in the coldest part of the garden over winter...you'll be amazed at how frost breaks it down and it can then easily be mixed with organic matter and sand or grit to create topsoil. It does require patience, though, and a reasonably cold winter.
Quicker but pricier method is to invest in a second-hand rotovator or tiller and hunt around for a local supplier of bulk manure or municipal compost to work into the clay. Sometimes, buying a delivery of sharp sand or horticultural grit from a builder's merchant can be a lot more economical than buying bags of material from garden centres, given the quantities required! It's worth the price of a local call to find out....ditto local farms, studs, riding schools and councils.
Click to expand...

Thanks noisette. I think I will try removing it first. If the job become too hard I will try leave them over winter. Though I doubt the winter here will be cold enough.

blacktulip · Sep 3, 2014

Jungle Jane said: ↑
How thick a layer of sub soil are we talking? I couldn't really remove mine so just learnt to live with it. If it is a skips worth and you are prepared to do the work then by all means get rid of it, but there are other ways around the problem. Like for example you could freecycle it or do what I did and improve it. That's what I did and it is only just starting to breakdown but I know I will have good soil at the end and the worms are doing the work for me.
Click to expand...

Hi Jane, It is about half a spade thick.

Jungle Jane · Sep 4, 2014

Covering how big an area?

blacktulip · Sep 4, 2014

Jungle Jane said: ↑
Covering how big an area?
Click to expand...

It's about 120 - 150 sq. metres . Quite a large area

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Without any experience, I am facing a ruined garden

blacktulip Gardener

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How to improve clay soil without improving fertility?

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Without any experience, I am facing a ruined garden

blacktulip Gardener

blacktulip Gardener

Jungle Jane Starved Of Technicolor

blacktulip Gardener

How to improve clay soil without improving fertility?

Attracting Birds to Garden without using Bird Feeders

without me

How to feed small birds without attracting pigeons?

Growing from seed without a greenhouse

Share This Page

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