help needed

hello again, update on garden i've been doing some work on my large back garden got rid of all the weeds onlyto find there's about 4 inches of top soil and then its all clay, apart from digging in some manure is there anything else i can do to break down the clay.
many thanks lee. :confused: :confused:

 

Hi there - I garden on clay and it is great growing stuff. Digging in fine grit, and any organic matter like garden compost will help break it up. I found the easiest way to manage my clay was
a)to do the main digging in the autumn, leaving the frost to break it up.(saves the blisters)
b)Spread compost on the surface autumn and winter for the worms to take down.
c)Keep off it when wet as much as possible to avoid compaction.
d)dense plant - the roots of plants themselves will help break it up.
e) don't allow it to dry out too much, as it will crack.

 

100% agree with Fran - just wanted to add - your local recycling palce may well have some very co**** compost available cheaply, or even free. That's what I've been using, as I have the same problem - and this helps both drainage and adding organic matter.

 

keep forgetting - "rough" compost!!

 

what is rough compost !???

 

I think Dendrobium means c.o.a.r.s.e compost. ie with lots of bits in that help drainage. The thought police believe that body parts are politically incorrect. :D

The main solutions are to add :- Organic material, sharp sand and horticultural grit, or chemicals such as gypsum - though it does not seem to be done so much in gardens. Try this site :-

http://home.clara.net/tmac/urgring/faqsoil1.htm

Or you could just try plants that like clay:-

http://gardening.about.com/od/gardendesign/a/ClayPlants.htm

http://www.sweetgrassgardens.com/clay.htm

 

Heppy. I forgot to add, if you are working the soil now in the wet stand on planks to spread your weight. If you stand on wet clay now it will compress it and reduce drainage.

 

Thanks, PeterS for the translation! I keep forgetting that words that include the letters referring the "sit-upon" turn into ****! I must be too innocent! :rolleyes:

 

thanks peters thats a good web site and by the way do you have body parts as the police don't leave body parts round here lol would anyone liketo make a donation lol.
hep

 

Do not laugh Heppy. A while ago I was turning out an old shed and I came across a bag of bones - human bones! My neighbour, who was an Indian doctor, had bought them from India many years before. A full skeleton was expensive and it was common practice for a medical student to have a bag of bones instead. My neighbour had put them in my shed when he had to clear his garage when it was re-roofed. I had no idea they were there.

I still do not know how he got them through customs. :D

 

I bet that was a bit freaky what did the police say :confused: :eek: :eek:

 

Oh the police were not involved, I think the bones got buried on the council tip, - or else they ended up in a stew next door. :D