Grow Your Own Magazine

Heya All, newbie here

I'm after some advice... i have pretty heavy clay soil, which I'm gradually digging/adding compost etc too... anyone got any suggestions as to the veg which will best tolerate this type of soil? I'm interested in growing tomatoes, beans, peas, courgettes, lettuce, radishes, spinach etc (and don't say potatoes.. I don't want to grow potatoes :P). Last year i grew loads just in pots and growbags, so i'll continue with that this year, but to maximise use of space it'd be good to know what will and what WONT cope with the clay soil. (oh and it's a sunny spot, but i don't have the foggiest about the soil PH)

Thanks

Heavy clays are usually water retentive and hold nutrients well. The only thing you may have problems with are carrots, parsnips! Clay soils can take quite a while to warm up in the Spring and may crack in a dought. As long as you keep the hoe going and keep a surface tilth though, most fruit and veg should be OK!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Sez - welcome aboard.

I'm in Hull and I guess my soild is v similar to yours.

Snadge is right - I think we can do most things except those that need loose soil to quite a depth. But there are always ways to do things. Talked to an old timer the other day who rams some pvc tubing into the gound, pulls it out and then fills the hole with loose sandy soil and places seedlings on top. Carrots can be achieved by creating a separate box to plant in, or by planting short varieties - I'm going to try a bite-size round one this year.

See my blog for the struggles I've had on clay so far.

__________________
it's written in the wind that we're two, carved out in the sand that we're real,
it's lit up in the stars that we're true, we're destined in the sky to be glad
Paul Weller
http://johntygreentoes.blogspot.com/

Hello Sez, and welcome to the vine. I don't know what to say to you. I've looked at the list of the things you want to grow, and none of them want heavy, clay soil. I know you don't want potatoes, but growing them does improve the soil. Your heavy clay will improve into good soil with working - but not in 5 minutes. Sorry if it sounds pessimistic ( the outlook is good in the longer term) The soil can be improved by digging in lots of organic material and manure. I would start with a plan for next year. Decide what you want to grow where, and improve the soil square yard by square yard. In the meantime, grow potatoes in the rest.
I started with pure clay - could cut it out in slices.It can be made into good ground - but not instantly.
See what other grapes think.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

I agree with Alice entirely.

Buy lots of seed spuds and keep them going.

Buy lots of cheap new horse shit and get it rotting down for next year. Add it in in winter. Also get lots of sharp sand worked in.

How much topsoil have you actually got. I get 1 spade deep at the very most befor I hit the hard stuff.

__________________
it's written in the wind that we're two, carved out in the sand that we're real,
it's lit up in the stars that we're true, we're destined in the sky to be glad
Paul Weller
http://johntygreentoes.blogspot.com/

Probably about the same as you Johnty - about a spade's depth.
I've been working in compost and will get some sharp sand, but manure is a problem as I don't have transport (and i doubt taxi drivers will carry manure )

Thanks for the advice everyone - including you, Alice, although I'm still not gonna plant potatoes I think I might give other veggies a go, maybe using the planting-hole-filled-with-loose-soil method.

If it doesn't work.. so what Experimenting's fun, and I can always grow spuds next year