Clay soil and a frost..........

Ectophile

The problem I found with clay was that however much you dig it over, it all compacts down again after a good rain.

The only way I made my heavy clay soil usable was by adding lots of organic matter.

Sally_A

Our garden on clay has been worked for 50 years, and there are still big clods. Compost and manure is the way to go, and a final dig over in late Autumn. Frost only helps to break the clods as they get wet/freeze/expand etc.

On the plus side, clay holds moisture better than sandy soils.

Large clods now get chucked in the compost bin to let the worms do their work, if you get an ants nest in the compost bin they break it up a treat.

Mojisola

Adding humus to a clay soil works in two ways - the humus breaks down the bonds that hold the tiny clay particles together and stops the soil going claggy like you've experienced. The particles will aggregate into larger clumps and so allow water to drain and air to get into the soil. It also means that you will be able to break it down to a reasonable tilth.

To make a difference, you need a lot of well rotted compost - layers of 3-4 inches every year for several years. Although it's a lot of work initially, an improved clay will be fertile and hold water, unlike a sandy soil.

You have to add huge amounts of grit to make a difference so you could try that in small areas but adding humus is the best way to go.

Leif

You could try the no dig route. The idea is to spread lots of compost on the surface, then plant seeds in the compost. The plants will start to break up the soil, and the worms will drag the compost into the clay. Next year you do the same, and with time the soil improves. I do not know how well this works with clay soil, but it might be worth a try. I believe you should not walk on the soil. I would be tempted to dig the soil to break it up, and reduce compaction, then spread loads of compost, and plant the seeds in the compost. Then hope your team of worms do their bit for your corner of Blighty.

Although my soil is clay, the area at one side is rather nice, due to 40 years of leaf mulch, from the Buddleja that was growing there. As said earlier, clay is potentially a very fertile soil that holds moisture well.

Pixiechic

Thanks, that's an idea. If I go over it all again and break it down as much as possible whilst adding some organic matter. See what it's like and then add compost to cover seeds.

Interesting that you say one end of your garden is different to the other Leif. The other end of my garden has loads of leaves around it still. I wonder if the soil is better that side, I haven't got to that bit yet! I will have a look tomorrow.

I've just read that you can do a simple test of the soil. Something like if you can pick a bit up and roll it into a ball it's heavy clay. If you then squeeze it and water comes out its really heavy clay. Something like that, I will test tomorrow.

torbrex

Over the 20 years that I have been working with clay soil in my garden, I have tried everything posted on this thread and I can tell you now that they all work in the short term but you will find yourself back at square one every spring.

These days I try to plan to do a dig at the start of a dry spell (hope that the forecast is right) and then rake over every day that I get the chance as the clods dry out, I am then left with a reasonably fine till about a spades depth in which to sow, I'm just at that point now and will be sowing in the next couple of days.

Over the years I have put in various bushes and pereniels in my borders so that I no longer need to worry about the condition of the soil for sowing, I have less than a quarter of bare soil to work with these days

Pixiechic

Thank you, I hope I'm not too late and that the sun keeps shining! Raking it over everyday is a great tip, that will help with the fine tilth.

I hope I haven't left it a bit late..........

torbrex

It all depends on what you are going to plant, I will just be putting down some throw & grow annuals so did not really need to do all the digging but habit got the better of me

Pixiechic

That's all that I want to do, is to grow some nice annuals!

I haven't been is this house long and haven't been able to tidy the garden up until now the weather has improved a bit.

So I am trying to tidy up the overgrown beds whilst also getting the soil ready. I feel a bit relieved after you said that about only planting annuals! Hopefully all will be well.

I think that as I keep digging, hopefully the soil clay chunks will dry a bit and I can keep breaking it up and raking it through.

Fingers crossed

olly300

Leif wrote: »

You could try the no dig route. The idea is to spread lots of compost on the surface, then plant seeds in the compost. The plants will start to break up the soil, and the worms will drag the compost into the clay. Next year you do the same, and with time the soil improves. I do not know how well this works with clay soil, but it might be worth a try.

It only works if you don't want to ever plant bushes or anything else with deeper roots a few years later.

If you do want to plant something deeper depending what it is then dig in sand, grit, humus or a mixture of one of them with sand before planting.

You can spend months digging over the soil but I found out it's worth just digging a lot in, in one go and then putting the plants in. Otherwise you will find the worms will bring the clay up from the bottom and you will have to start again.