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Posted: Feb/11/2006 3:25 AM PST
My yard is 99% clay and 1% dirt. Other than bringing in a bobcat and 100 yards of topsoil does anyone have any ideas??? 
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Posted: Feb/11/2006 12:04 PM PST
I too am blessed with a fine clay soil that when dry is harder then some rocks, I have found tilling deep, adding very course sand, compost, manure ect realy helps. I add aprox 2" of sand and 2' of compost initialy. When I start a new area I only try to fix the row Im planting that and skip the area between rows. I also add alot of pellitised gypsum in aids in clay breaking. If you keep adding organic material and coarse sand eventually you will have great soil. I would also reccomend having it tested for Ph and NPk so you know what you have. hope this helps |
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Posted: Feb/12/2006 3:58 AM PST
Krystral... Tom's got the prescription down pat. As he says over time you will improve your soil's texture and consistency. 99% clay? Probably not, but when it gets compacted, or gets wet or gets dry it sure seems like it. Most "clay" soils are probably no more thatn 60 or 70% clay. Go at it with sand and organic matter and eventually it will turn for you. Don't work it when it is wet. Avoid compacting it. Walk it as little as possible. Put down boards to walk on. These will distribute your weight over a large surface area and held reduce compaction. |
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Posted: Mar/19/2008 7:55 PM PST
How did you ever take care of the clay for your garden? i have clay as well. I built my veggie garden up and I am not sure if I did this right yet. Only time will tell but I thinking I do need to hire a landscaper out to till all the manure, humus, and great dirt i built up and on top. I am eager to hear what you did and did it work for you? thanks tita |
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Posted: Aug/06/2008 9:33 AM PST
I have clay soil as well...We had a garden television show that I watched faithfully and learned some great growing tips. Besides adding organic matter to clay soil you can ad kitty litter, not the clumping kind but the regular clay kind. Dump it in and mix it around, it aerates the clay and it works probably similarly to course sand. In most of my garden, I dug out the clay and put in beautiful organic rich soil. |
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Posted: Aug/06/2008 10:34 AM PST
Nothing breaks up clay soil quite as well as leaves. Unbeatable price too. I recommend that if you're going to spend all that money on sand and topsoil, don't just mix it into the clay. I suggest instead you use all that good stuff to make raised beds. Clay soil is an excellent subsoil, rich in slow-releasing minerals. Put six inches of humus on top of it, and watch your plants thrive! |
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Posted: Aug/07/2008 7:37 AM PST
Don't forget grass clippings stereo! When we had our addtion built, the backhoe guy covered my backyard in the horrible peanut-butter consistency clay soil that was dug up, burying many plants and my wonderful soil that I worked so hard to create  I spent 2 days tilling it so I could plant grass seed. It was like tilling cement! The fescue died, but the surrounding bermuda and crab grasses thrived  For my flower beds and borders, and the veggie gardens I mix compost and topsoil together bringing it about 6-8 inches deep. After planting I mulch with leaves about 2 inches deep, then cover those with another 2-4 inches of grass clippings to keep the leaves in place. They will hold the moisture in great and work to suppress weeds. At the end of the season they will have usually broken down into a nice layer of compost. In the fall I usually add more leaves and grass clippings as a winter mulch, it all gets worked into the soil when I plant stuff in the spring or cultivate. Then the cycle starts all over again. Over the years I have created some great soil. At first I was working the stuff into the clay, but now I don't need to dig that deep  Oh- and don't forget to start your own compost pile(s) It really saves money in the long run and is lots of fun! |
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