Clay Soil!?

[aes]

Hi folks,

I live in North East Scotland where the soil is really heavy clay. To an area about 32ftx25ft I have dug in about 3 tonnes of sand and about 40 x 100litre bags of compost (BOGOF from the wholesale) however it seems to have made very little difference.

Can anyone suggest the best stuff to put into the ground to break up the soil areas which I havent turfed. The turf seems to have taken well! I was thinking manure but didn't know what kind - horse, cow, pig, mixed, old, new etc.

Your suggestions are much appreciated!!!

[Capsid]

Just keep adding as much as you can, whatever the source. The humus content will eventually break up the clay, but it won't happen overnight.

The only real problem with clay is trying to dig it when it is wet and when it dries to something like concrete, but it is very fertile and will support good veg growth. So don't despair.

[zazen999]

My advice is to grow stuff in there - it's amazing what a few roots will do to help break up clay soils. And grow loads; all year round. Then, as soon as you take something out you are putting seedlings [grown in compost] straight back in. It doesn't take long to get clay which is significantly more crumbly than the clay that you inherited. Esp if you mulch with anything organic as often as you can on top of that. Cardboard, coffee grounds, compost, sawdust; anything you can get on there will help.

[oliveoyl]

Agricultural gypsum Rootwise - Benefits of Root-Gyp

[Tori]

Yep - grow stuff! I took on a very clay soiled allotment last year and I have discovered the best thing for it is to grow potatoes! (or anything else with a good root system, sweetcorn, squash!)

Good luck

[Dynamo]

Agricultural gypsum Rootwise - Benefits of Root-Gyp

I agree with this. It helps make the soil crumblier.

All the other advice is good though too. Grow stuff, especially potatoes, and just keep adding and adding and adding. You'll probably never get it exactly how you'd like it, but you'll still see a marked improvement.

[snohare]

I think you will find out everything you want to know about clay soil and how to improve it in a thread entitled "Clay soil", dated 31.01.09. I think the original poster was Eastwiz.
Would've put it in a link but I don't know how !

[OllieMartin]

I think you will find out everything you want to know about clay soil and how to improve it in a thread entitled "Clay soil", dated 31.01.09. I think the original poster was Eastwiz.
Would've put it in a link but I don't know how !

Go to the page you want to put a link to
Right click in the address bar at the top (the address should highlight) select 'copy'.
Go to the page you want to post in
Then in your post; right click and select 'paste'.
For future reference.

[oliveoyl]

Here t'is http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oil_27032.html

[snohare]

Why thank you Mr Ollie. You learn something new every day - now I can switch my brain off for the rest of the day !

[ginger ninger]

If it rots down, dig it in, as much organic matter as you can get your hands on, be it manure any kind, compost new or used, sharp sand to hep with drainage and as everyone else has said "plant something in it" roots are fantastic for breaking clay up.

[bluemoon]

Our lotties began life on heavy clay in 1941 when they were originally dug for victory. We now have a 50cm + depth of good quality top soil, but it has taken all of those almost 70 years of continuous use for it to get that way and it would revert quickly if it stopped. As GN says, dig in anything organic you can, and don't expect a quick fix, you have to keep going, but it will improve season on season.

PS, I haven't been there for the whole of the 70 years!

[Geordie]

If you accept that you have added all that stuff to your plot why not think of that as your substrate to try and build up on. When you add stuff from now on simply dig in to the top 6" or half a spade deep. Rather than having to dig a heavy soil you will create a usable depth to work with and start to rely on crops, worms etc to incorporate some of the material into the substrate.