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My Clay Soil Keeps Coming Back....| Member | Message |
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Posted: Mar/24/2009 5:05 PM PST
I have clay like soil, not hard or too horribly solid, but it is very dense. I think that most of my plants have a hard time getting their roots to expand through the dense clay and it may be stunting their growth. It seams that every year after amending my soil the clay somehow comes back, and my beds fill back up with gravel rock. How on earth does this happen??? I have a bunch of horse manure that has sat for 2 or 3 years now so I can add that. If the horse manure has sat in a pile for that long, and hasn't been turned or even dug up at all, is it still okay to use? Did it compost properly? Do I add lime to combat it too? I don't understand the "job" of lime. Also, how do I amend my existing flower beds to get rid of the clay soil that keeps coming back? |
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Posted: Mar/26/2009 1:58 AM PST
I am wondering if any one has any suggestions. PLEASE HELP! I AM SO FRUSTRATED WITH DEALING WITH THE CLAY SOIL COMING BACK YEAR TO YEAR. Thank you for reading...hope to get some sort of response!! |
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Posted: Mar/31/2009 5:04 AM PST
I have the same problem. I lime and add compost and other amendments, but it seems every spring, the clay and rocks are back. The best thing I guess is to dig out as much clay as possible and then add topsoil and other amendments and lime. I did that in my herb garden when I originally created it, and the clay isn't as bad here as in some of the other beds. I hope this helps. You must persevere! |
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Posted: Mar/31/2009 11:02 AM PST
Spread horse manure(dried) 6 inches deep on top of your soil. Work the manure into the soil. Add Bone meal(phosphorus) Wood Ash(potassium) Compost like a 6 inch layer Rake it all into your soil, it is called power packing. I guarantee you will have extremly fertile soil. Rake it like 12 inches deep, continue to rake until the dirt is fine. |
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Posted: Mar/31/2009 4:35 PM PST
Thank you for taking the time to write! I will make note of that and see what I can do. We have plenty of horse manure and wood stove ash. I am working on a small spot that I want to possibly plant veggies, and I will try that in there if I can. Thank you again! Happy Gardening! ~M~ |
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Posted: Apr/01/2009 6:14 AM PST
After you harvest your vegetables do the soil again with the same mixture.Before you plant and after you harvest add those things to the soil and soon you won't have to do it anymore. |
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Posted: Apr/07/2009 3:20 AM PST
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will try. I'll keep ya updated! ~M~ |
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Posted: Apr/14/2009 4:20 AM PST
I would try this, use a post hold digger, dig your holes @ plant spacing. Digging a hole 2-3' deep fill it with compost and remove the clay from the area throw 3-4" compost and mulching materials over the garden area(oak leaves, grass clippings and manure) tillers the area the best you can and plant the plants over the dug out holes. This may help , When you start with the post hole diggers get some gloves your going too need them. Try this with six holes and see, That's what I would do , Later Guilt Trip |
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