Clay Soil

[Deleted User]

Always found clay hard to manage... Very much a no go in winter, then cakes hard when drying out in summer!

Best results for me came about when digging annually, hydrangea are hardy enough shrubs to work well in our garden for years with sufficient care.

kerri_gt

My parents have never been avid gardners and lived on heavy clay...my dad managed to plant a peach tree in the 80s which we even got fruit from. The neighbours plum tree gave loads of fruit annually as well until they got rid of it.

Mojisola

Deleted_User wrote: »

So if I got some compost and put it on the clay soil and mixed it all in, would that be ok?

You will need a lot to make a difference. Your council may sell larger loads from their green waste composting - check out what's available.

I wouldn't bother digging a heavy clay - apart from copying MrsSnail's method of planting individual plants, just spread the compost as a thick layer over the surface - it will keep weeds down and retain moisture in the soil during dry spells - and let the worms take it down into the clay.

To make a difference, you will need to keep on doing this for as long as you live there!