Soggy clay lovers

**Alice** · 17-02-2009, 07:02 PM

Sorry Basher, but nothing grew in wet clay for me. But the good news is once you get it drained, broken, fertilized it's great stuff. Everything loved it.

**bridget mc laughlin** · 17-02-2009, 07:04 PM

If I had that kind of soil which I do in part of my garden,the best thing that you can do is use raised beds cause they help dry the soil out a little.

**Snadger** · 17-02-2009, 09:50 PM

On the herb front I reckon all the mints like boggy ground.........along with water cress!

**Sue** · 17-02-2009, 10:03 PM

In the bottom third of my allotment where it's so waterlogged in winter that if walked in you'd get the boots sucked off your feet. Although I've now converted to raised beds I've kept the Jostaberry that was growing there in the wettest corner of all, it seems to do very well and has fruited every year.

Sue

**bobleponge** · 18-02-2009, 04:30 AM

My entire garden is clay, and it gets very wet in autumn,winter and spring, drying out briefly in summer.
Stinging nettles grow very very well in it, which I know I should be happy with as it means its rich soil, but I somehow just cant seem to see the good side.
I have slowly had to dig and turn, add manure and compost to the areas with no raised beds, but still have poor returns with spuds and carrots.
Finally I opted for raised beds, filling them with rotted horse manure and compost, turning them at the end of the year to incorporate more of the clay soil into the beds, and breaking the "pan" that can form. These work very well indeed.
About the only thing that has been put straight into my garden and grows well is comfrey.

**Basher** · 18-02-2009, 06:20 AM

Nettles do grow well on my plot, so I it must be fertile, it will just need some help I guess. I'll mix in sand/grit and horse manure as I can get hold of it and luckily I do like mint! I will take a look at comfrey too. Thanks for your advice all.

**yoanbob** · 18-02-2009, 07:53 AM

dandilions thrive in mine!

**piskieinboots** · 18-02-2009, 07:57 AM

mine is clay - I went to beds for my veg area, but mainly because I will only be in this locale for a couple years, it would take too long to bring it around.

Having said that - sprouts like clay

**HeyWayne** · 18-02-2009, 08:32 AM

Originally posted by piskieinboots View Post

I went to beds for my veg area,

...and you didn't pop in for a cuppa!?

**piskieinboots** · 18-02-2009, 08:36 AM

LOL - next time hun next time .... and rumour has it we may be moving that way next

**HeyWayne** · 18-02-2009, 08:38 AM

Originally posted by piskieinboots View Post

LOL - next time hun next time .... and rumour has it we may be moving that way next

So that low flying chopper was SD after all!

EDIT: Is it Stanbridge? That is but 15 minutes from our house!

**piskieinboots** · 18-02-2009, 08:58 AM

Originally posted by HeyWayne View Post

So that low flying chopper was SD after all!

EDIT: Is it Stanbridge? That is but 15 minutes from our house!

I'll have to kill you now

**HeyWayne** · 18-02-2009, 09:00 AM

Originally posted by piskieinboots View Post

I'll have to kill you now

Tell Bean and LadyWayne I love 'em.

**Rhona** · 18-02-2009, 09:01 AM

The soil at our new allotment is apparently heavy clay. I was talking with one of the allotment holders a couple of weeks ago about it. Looking at all the plots - no-one seemed to have trouble growing at all (good news!) and wide ranging crops up there. Apparently, artichokes love it? I certainly saw plenty of last seasons that had grown well.

Not sure yet what has been done to the ground to make it useful, but clearly you can grow on it so don't be disheartened.

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