how to prepare soil and when to plant!!

hello all,my husbands been in the garden digging some new borders we ripped everything out last year so are starting from scratch,ive been reading up on it and im quite sure our soil is clay,all hes done so far is dig over and get rid of weeds do i need to add anything to the soil eg compost etc if so when and how much do we mix it in with our own mud,also ive been reading a gardening book and it says u can plant after the last frost,when is that usally im so eager to get going but i am totally clueless thanx all amanda

 

planting after frost refers to tender plants such as bedding plants eg petunia [plant out in may]
it is a good time of the year to plant trees, bushes and perennials provided 1) the soil is not frozen, and not predicted for a few days 2) the plants have been aclimatised,ie not straight from supermarket shelves in to ground [i often leave them outside for a week in a sheltered area, loose wrapped in a carrier
your garden can be forked or dug over at this time to prepare for planting, provided it is not wet,,,,, your aim is to incorporate air [to allow worm action] and incorporate humous eg farmyard manure to improve soil condition., fork in lightly and let worms do the rest
clay is mineral rich soil and can be bountifull but can often be too acid for some plants, heathers ,rhododendron and azalea like acid soils but may need some compost [from garden centre to assist with planting as clay can be wet to the point of waterlogging

 

It is a wonderful time starting from scratch. I think you have an opportunity you will not have again. If your soil really is clay - then your problem will be drainage. Probably more plants die over winter from bad drainage as die from the cold. You should dig in agricultural grit - to be effective you need a lot like a ton or more depending on the size. I never managed to find a cheap source (small bags from a garden centre are uneconomic) when I did my garden three years ago, but I used SHARP sand and 10 mil gravel from a builders yard. In the borders of a small garden 50 foot by 30 foot I must have used about 6 tons in total. And I am really pleased I did.

Then you should add as much organic matter as you can. And then some more. The organic matter helps to bind the very fine clay particles into larger particles, which allow better drainage. It also holds moisture in summer, and adds nutrients.

As The Lady Gardiner said do not walk on wet clay soil. It will compress it and destroy all the water drainage channels you are trying to put in. If you must work when it is wet stand on boards - or wear snow shoes!

 

Isn't wonderfull spring may be on the way, butI must agree with both of the other two replies so far, stay off the ground if wet, do not try to plant or cultivate when frost is on the ground.
Clay soils hold lots of nutrients, but can be difficult to work, digging in the winter and letting the frost break down the large clods is great.
Clay is not always acid, before going out and planting heathers and azaleas, buy a PH tester and check your soil, and ask advice on what to plant when you have the results.
I have found organic matter is the best for clay soils as it does bind the minute clay paticles together, therefore improving the drainage so it is not too sticky and wet in the winter, it also helps hold some moisture so you do not get large cracks when it drys out in the summer.
Good luck and enjoy yourplanting and the rewards it will give.

 

It would also aid drainage to add horticutural grit or small pea shingle, do NOT use sand as this will make things worse to a heavy clay soil, what you are looking for is an open structure, a 'crumby' consistancy, try and get mushroom compost, it is available in most places and is cheaper than store bought compost, and you are helping the environment as it has already been used in producing mushrooms, its only fault is that it is alkaline so dont plant acid loving plants for a year or 2
most councils also have names of producers of re-cycled soil improvers..hope this helps
Paul

 

I am interested that you say do not use sand Rossco. I have wondered about that. I have googled this a few times, and I have seen it said before, but there are also quite a lot of sites that say you can add sharp sand.

My own experience is that I added 10 mil gravel, sharp sand, bales of compost, bags of mushroom compost, and all of my own compost - even part rotted stuff, to my own garden. The net result has been a huge improvement, but of course it is impossible to say how much contribution was made by the individual elements.

Have you had problems with sharp sand?

Edit spelling

[ 11. February 2006, 09:24 PM: Message edited by: PeterS ]

 

it's worth checking to see if your local council does cheap or even free compost at your local "recycling facility" (used to be called the tip!) Most councils do something of this sort now. Try a search with your local area, plus recycling, or waste-aware, or something like that - it worked for me! I get free compost here, for my brand-new clay garden! If you want to discusss specific problems on this topic directly, I'm open to e-mail.