found another useful website
By rosina
6 comments
for anyone who wants to deal with clay soils i found this website.
http://www.turfandstuff.com/page.php?xPage=how_to_improve_clay_soil.html
also found this out.
Heavy clay soil is excellent soil but the soil particles are so small they tend to run together and make the ground very hard to work. To improve clay for gardening, first spade or till the ground in the late fall or early spring, as deep as possible. Leave it rough for a time so that freezing and thawing can break it down.
Be careful not to work a clay soil when it is wet. Add all the organic matter to it you can obtain. Rotted manure, rotted leaves, and any fall cover crops that can be spaded under will help. Finally a dressing of limestone, or of hydrated lime, will help flocculate the clay and make it more easily crumbled. Use enough lime to make the surface white and apply it any time now. It can be worked into the soil as spring gardening progresses.
30 Apr, 2009
4 likes
More blog posts by rosina
Previous post: where can i get newts from?
Next post: Fed up of your hose not being long enough for your garden?
Comments
dont lime the soil if you have rhododendrons, camelias etc though !
good blog, lots of useful information.
30 Apr, 2009
Good blog Rosina fortunately I don't suffer with clay soil thank goodness! That flocculating bit sounds painful :o)
30 Apr, 2009
Great blog Rosina....Before you add lime, you should test the pH of your soil. Lime will increase the alkalinity of the soil. Clay soil is very often already on the alkaline side so you don't want to make it worse.
1 May, 2009
lol i havent clay soils anywhere thank gawd this time round but i thought it may be useful for those who do as i know the nightmare clay can cause
1 May, 2009
That would be me Rosina. Nasty clay here and alkaline to boot. :o(
4 May, 2009
Recent posts by rosina
- my back garden
7 May, 2009
- ......No More Wasps
1 May, 2009
- Fed up of your hose not being long enough for your garden?
1 May, 2009
- where can i get newts from?
30 Apr, 2009
- Planning and creating a wildlife-friendly garden
30 Apr, 2009
- Great website found today
30 Apr, 2009
Members who like this blog
-
Gardening with friends since
16 Apr, 2009 -
Gardening with friends since
29 Dec, 2008 -
Gardening with friends since
29 Mar, 2008
rosie, cheers old girl. youre a gem. dave
30 Apr, 2009