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+--- Thread: Grrr I hate clay (/thread-grrr-i-hate-clay)
Grrr I hate clay - TVD - 10-21-2006 06:05 PM
I really do. I can't get much to grow in it, and digging it is a real pain, literally. Someone told me to put builders sand in it (the stuff with shale type tuff in as well), which helps a bit, but it seemed to require so much that I stopped adding it after the first ton. Any ideas?
- forwardone - 10-21-2006 10:39 PM
Without question clay soil isn`t easy to work with, but a good clay soil is one of the best soils you can have as it will grow just about any plant well.
Clay particles are extremely small, with 1,000 times the surface area in a given volume of soil compared with larger sandy soil particles. As a result, clay packs closely and binds water tightly by surface tension preventing it draining away.
Fortunately, clay soils naturally break into small lumps when they dry and shrink in summer, allowing roots, water and air access. Adding organic matter, especially composted bark, as a mulch, or dug in, helps promote this texture, without which clay soils would support little plant growth.
You can counter the clay`s stickiness by addidn grit. Experiment on a small scale first, mixing a 7.5cm (3in) layer of grit into the top 15cm (6in) of the soil, adding more if, after a month, the soil still seems too stiff. Too little can be worse than none at all.
Wet clay swells preventing winter rain from escaping. In spring the water slowly evaporates, delaying planting, sowing and growth. Drainage or, on a small scale, raised beds counter this. Walking on wet clay damages its structure when it is compressed or smeared, so make paths or even use stepping-stones.
Although seedbeds are tricky, trees, shrubs and perennials usually grow very well once their roots penetrate the surrounding soil. Consider improving soil with cultivation and organic matter before planting and using smaller sizes of shrubs and trees. These are easier to plant and care for, and grow fast on fertile clay soils.
- evilstartswith4 - 10-31-2006 03:36 AM
Chris Beardshaw
Gardening on wet clay soil can be a challenge, good soil husbandry is important. One of the major problems is the moisture retained in the soil. Make sure that the site is not waterlogged, improve the drainage by incorporating large quantities of sharp grit and well-rotted fibrous compost. Also, keep off the soil when it is wet to avoid compacting it as this will impede drainage.
There are some great plants that will thrive in damp clay soils. On the herbaceous front try Doronicum orientale, Trachystemon orientale, Primula florindae, Helleborus argutifolius and Hemerocallis `Corky`.
Shrubs to try include Cornus, Mahonia and Viburnum or for something a little special try Ribes speciosum, Rhodotypos scandens or Aralia elata.
Of the trees Carpinus, Alnus and Acers will all thrive but top of my list would be Malus tschonoskii, Aesculus flava and Sorbus commixta. Additionally worth trying are conifers, both Taxodium distichum and Metasequoia glyptostroboides will do well. Also don`t forget bamboos such as Phyllostachys bambusoides and ferns like Mattecuccia struthiopteris.
-Chris Beardshaw