Compost or Top Soil?

azzabazza

Our borders are quite heavy with clay. There is one small border which requires a bit of a boost. I am going to dig out the plants I want to retain and then I hope to revitalise the border by digging in either top soil or compost. Will also be adding blood, fish and bone.

Would either do or a mixture of both? Advice appreciated.

I_have_spoken

I'd say either, certainly used both for my clay soil. Also keep a bag of sharp grit to put under bulbs and any plants I reckon won't like wet roots

peter_the_piper

Bone meal would be better than FBB as its a slow release fertikiser. With clay you need to break it up so top soil would only be a short term solution, coarse compost would be a better solution.

Mojisola

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=620#section-3
How to improve clay soils
Plenty of bulky organic matter!

aggypanthus

I have battled clay for yrs! Its not easy, best to dig out the lumps of heavy soil first.
Lots and lots of compost has been added every yr, free from the local recycli g place.

azzabazza

aggypanthus wrote: »

I have battled clay for yrs! Its not easy, best to dig out the lumps of heavy soil first.
Lots and lots of compost has been added every yr, free from the local recycli g place.

Wish we could get this. I religiously fill my garden recycling bin for uplift. Our local council do not offer compost.

My intention is to dig the border as deeply as possible then dig in the new material. Manure not available but will see what my local garden centre can come up with as an alternative.

moneyistooshorttomention

I've got the clay soil problem here, but am racking my brains a bit, as I'm too scared to use municipal compost (that will have come from this area) or packets of compost wood chippings (I don't know where they will have come from).

I've certainly read reports of people having inadvertently brought perennial weeds into their gardens via bought packets of compost wood chippings (and it even included Japanese Knotweed for one poor purchaser).

There is a garden near me that has JK and I cant think how else it could have got there, other than one of those two routes (as its not near a JK "corridor", eg along a river).

I don't wish to risk getting in the same position as that garden-owner.

Not a happy bunny now that I've got the garden I've been waiting for for so many years (about 20?) and daren't access all those "sources of supply" like going out and getting a load of leaf mould for instance that I remember my father doing on my parents' gardens because of the risks from the area the house is in.

molerat

Make your own compost. I get around 200 litres a year from a small garden and compostable food waste and I know where it all comes from.

Mojisola

azzabazza wrote: »

I religiously fill my garden recycling bin for uplift. Our local council do not offer compost.

My intention is to dig the border as deeply as possible then dig in the new material. Manure not available but will see what my local garden centre can come up with as an alternative.

Back-breaking job! Heavy and regular surface mulching will let the worms do the work for you.

Why not compost instead of giving the council your garden waste?

If your council isn't selling compost, they have probably contracted the composting out to a company. We get a trailer-load every couple of years from the local firm who does this for our council.

azzabazza

Composting is not really an option in my small garden. By the time I store 3 Wheelie bins plus two recycling boxes I don't want to give up any more space. Being mid-terraced doesn't help the logistics!

I have this afternoon dug over the border, breaking up the clumps. Found some lovely big worms. I am going to mix compost, top soil and bone meal and fork it in. I have rescued 4 dwarf azaleas and some auriculas which will go back in. I also have some dianthus that I bought as plugs which can now be planted out.

I have more or less dug up the spring bulbs which were there and I am now planning to buy new and plant in decent clumps. Will put in some winter pansies and maybe some cyclamen for a bit of colour and I will then decide on more permanent planting in the spring.

aggypanthus

azzabazza wrote: »

Composting is not really an option in my small garden. By the time I store 3 Wheelie bins plus two recycling boxes I don't want to give up any more space. Being mid-terraced doesn't help the logistics!

I have this afternoon dug over the border, breaking up the clumps. Found some lovely big worms. I am going to mix compost, top soil and bone meal and fork it in. I have rescued 4 dwarf azaleas and some auriculas which will go back in. I also have some dianthus that I bought as plugs which can now be planted out.

I have more or less dug up the spring bulbs which were there and I am now planning to buy new and plant in decent clumps. Will put in some winter pansies and maybe some cyclamen for a bit of colour and I will then decide on more permanent planting in the spring.

Azaleas dont like clay doil, and dianthus need good drainage.i would only put bone meal in the actaul planting holes, thry spread growmore when you plant more in spring. Clay is full of good nutrients and bone meal wont bulk it up.

Put sand or grit under the bulbs.