Heavy Clay Soil

Last post 12-09-2012 6:48 AM by Fatcat1955. 11 replies.

• 11/08/2012 10:46 AM
  kaydee Location: Perthshire Joined on: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 247	Reply | Contact I have no experience of gardening on heavy sticky clay soil. Could anyone advise on the best time to plant up a new (northern) garden. I wondered if waiting until spring would be better than autumn. Thanks. Best. K.

• 11/08/2012 08:10 PM

  In reply to

  Snark Location: Suffolk Joined on: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 265

  Reply | Contact Even here in what you probably think of as the sunny south(!) on my heavy clay soil, suit brick making, autumn planting is a disaster. The roots rot off and make no attempt to get going. Leave it until it is warming up in spring. Meanwhile buy trailer loads of grit/gravel. Work it in,spread it on the top,keep some for planting holes. It helps quite a lot. Only people on less claggy soil claim that organic matter alone will do the trick.By all means use as much as you can get hold of but I have huge amounts of muck from my sheep yard and shred everything I can - the soil just eats it and it vanishes without trace. At least the grit stays put. For the Snark was a boojum you see

• 14/08/2012 10:49 AM	In reply to
  kaydee Location: Perthshire Joined on: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 247	Reply | Contact Thank you Snark, very much indeed. This is immensely helpful. Best K

• 27/08/2012 05:39 PM

  In reply to

  JB Location: Wiltshire Joined on: 26 Aug 2012 Posts: 20

  Reply | Contact I would support Snark's advice. We are in the south and recently moved to a house with a very heavy clay soil garden. We cleared everything out of the front garden as it was overgrown at not to our taste. We dug in grit and manure before any re-planting. Started the re-planting in spring adding more manure and grit with each plant. I'm sure you've already thought of this but it's worth checking out before you plant whether your chosen plants will be happy on clay. If nothing else it is fertile!

• 27/08/2012 06:03 PM	In reply to
  kaydee Location: Perthshire Joined on: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 247	Reply | Contact Thank you for your experience & timely warning J.B. I've started looking at the the proposed plant list. This is for a Community garden & some of the requests & suggestions are definitely unsuitable for heavy clay. We are going to need generous applications of tact & diplomacy mixed in with the manure & grit! Best K.

• 05/09/2012 10:21 AM

  In reply to

  iz Location: Joined on: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 23

  Reply | Contact  Hi Kaydee. I've been working a new London garden on clay soil and as I do most of the work myself I've had to be practical too as tho' I'm fairly strong, it's easy to knacker your back with hardcore clay bustin'!  I've had some success (tho' time will tell) with composted bark fines. I did endless research on what was the best approach and in addition to grit and gravel, I found many recommendations for composted bark fines too. the real advantage is that it is really light and although clearly not permanent like gravel, it does take a little longer to break down in the soil than other organic material so it really does help to open up and lighten the soil. good luck and strength to your elbow! you're sure going to need it!

• 08/09/2012 08:43 PM	In reply to
  kaydee Location: Perthshire Joined on: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 247	Reply | Contact Thank you iz. I'm looking for a local supplier of the bark fines. ( I thought I'd found one only to discover it was Perth Australia!) Ah well, try again. The light weight would be a real advantage. Good luck with your new garden too. Best. K

• 09/09/2012 12:58 AM	In reply to
  courierdude Location: cambs/suffolk border Joined on: 14 Feb 2012 Posts: 211	Reply | Contact wont be too long before the leaves are dropping-always good to add to clay soil : ) energy follows thought

• 09/09/2012 08:27 PM	In reply to
  kaydee Location: Perthshire Joined on: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 247	Reply | Contact Hmm...If there's any spare leaves I want them for my garden! Best K

• 10/09/2012 10:44 PM	In reply to
  Fatcat1955 Location: Herts Joined on: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 24	Reply | Contact Gypsum is the best cure for a heavy clay soil. Fllowed by any manure/compost you can get your hand's on. Do not use bark chipping's as they will take year's to rot down in heavy clay and deplete your soil of nitrogen whilst doing so.

• 11/09/2012 11:35 PM	In reply to
  kaydee Location: Perthshire Joined on: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 247	Reply | Contact Thanks Fatcat, How much gypsum would you add per metre sq? I'm wondering about the Ph levels? Best K

• 12/09/2012 06:48 AM	In reply to
  Fatcat1955 Location: Herts Joined on: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 24	Reply | Contact Application rate is around 25kg per 1000 sq mts. Gypsum is neutral so will not alter the ph of your soil.