How to get new/healthy soil without using a rotavator on clay soil?

Lebene

[I always like a story, so read the bold for the important things]
Hi guys, my/mum's garden is really long and quite wide. Oh, that is lovely for any gardener, so many possibilities!

Nah. I don't know if it's because of the swamp running round the back (used to be a toad and frog sanctuary who knows how long ago - definitely before 2003) and we're next to the A13.. Perhaps that has contributed to the hard clay soil we have. It's completely uneven and bumpy and basically I call it the garden of weeds.

Last year I dug a rectangular hole to see how deep I'd have to go to reach something that resembled a loose soil. It was about 5-7 inches that I reached worms and 8-10 inches when the soil was more crumbly and softer.

I don't think I have enough posts to attach photos but I can upload some elsewhere if people need reference.

What I want to know is, does anyone know a charity that helps the elderly and/or low mobility do hard gardening or a very cheap rotavator that I can hire in the Barking and Dagenham area? The garden is just too long for me to be giving myself back problems digging or tilling. Just that rectangle had me some kind of way!


Many thanks.

wellused

Sorry I don't know of any charity organisations around your area but I have heard of a group or guerrilla gardeners in London who cultivate disused land to grow food on, they are quite clandestine and usually do the cultivation without the councils permission after dark, maybe you could seek them out if your mother doesn't mind them cultivating the land. You can find them here http://www.guerrillagardening.org/ :A

Lebene

wellused wrote: »

Sorry I don't know of any charity organisations around your area but I have heard of a group or guerrilla gardeners in London who cultivate disused land to grow food on, they are quite clandestine and usually do the cultivation without the councils permission after dark, maybe you could seek them out if your mother doesn't mind them cultivating the land. You can find them here :A

Thanks for the suggestion. Though I do not think they would bother with Barking and Dagenham. But this is a lovely read!

freezspirit

If you type your postcode on this site it might provide an agency in your area that might help or information: http://www.foundations.uk.com/home/


Do you have a horticultural college in the area sometimes they need case studies for unit work or student work experience.

moneyistooshorttomention

Gardening newbie here...but wouldn't a rotovator chop to pieces bindweed roots for instance (if yours is an area plagued by it) and help it to regenerate itself rather? I'm having reservations about being a bit "careful" on my similar soil because neighbouring bits have got bindweed trying its best to get through into my garden and shoots keep popping up at the "borderline" (gather bindweed has incredibly long roots!).

Davesnave

Assuming it was all cleared and pristine....what then?

Something like this?

http://www.landshare.net/

Lebene

freezspirit wrote: »

If you type your postcode on this site it might provide an agency in your area that might help or information:

Do you have a horticultural college in the area sometimes they need case studies for unit work or student work experience.

Thanks for the link, unfortunately my borough doesn't have an agency.

Lebene

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Gardening newbie here...but wouldn't a rotovator chop to pieces bindweed roots for instance (if yours is an area plagued by it) and help it to regenerate itself rather? I'm having reservations about being a bit "careful" on my similar soil because neighbouring bits have got bindweed trying its best to get through into my garden and shoots keep popping up at the "borderline" (gather bindweed has incredibly long roots!).

We got rid of climbing weeds several years ago so I don't think that would be an issue, though for other weeds I guess it could be an issue but I don't mind shovelling loose soil and at least I would make a start for killing weeds using mulch or something. I do have an issue with my neighbours barbed plant breaking through our fence and holes... very annoying.

Lebene

Davesnave wrote: »

Assuming it was all cleared and pristine....what then?

Something like this?

http://www.landshare.net/

Then my mum can garden and have something nice to look at instead of a bumpy, weedy garden? :P Just for 2 of the many possible things she could do with my help.

What I personally want to do is turf the garden and leave a small space for my mum to grow some plants. If I could at least do the first step alone, for free or very cheap, then I would save enough money to get new healthy grass grown or get turf.

She would never agree to land share but thanks for the link!

Mojisola

Lebene wrote: »

Last year I dug a rectangular hole to see how deep I'd have to go to reach something that resembled a loose soil. It was about 5-7 inches that I reached worms and 8-10 inches when the soil was more crumbly and softer.

That's a very strange soil profile. Has the clay layer been spread over the garden to change the levels?

Lebene

Mojisola wrote: »

That's a very strange soil profile. Has the clay layer been spread over the garden to change the levels?

At the back of the garden where it's mostly shady and has mulch, the soil is less clay like but that is one tiny section. 99.9% of the garden has this hardness.

I just finished mowing the bumpy lumpy garden today and I noticed that difference in soil hardness and clay depends on different patches. I haven't had a shovel to the back of the garden to check how it is in regards to the front. Right now I'm trying an experiment on the rectangle with the mowed grass, soil and dampness. I'm obviously an amateur but I have to work with what I have.

Would you like me to upload photos? I can do it tomorrow.