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Indianapolis,Indiana

My new spot has tons of clay init so any ideas on how to enchance it? thanks for any posts


-Josh

3/17/2006 6:30:06 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Lots of leaves, a good cover crop. It will take several years to turn heavy clay in to a nice loamy soil. It took us about 3 years of adding leaves and manure to get nice soil.

3/17/2006 10:02:06 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Soil test ASAP.....if the soil needs Calcium then adding lots of Gypsum will help. The best thing is to add aged organic matter. If you can find old decayed material, add at least 6" & till it under thoroughly. Be more conservative with fresh manures in the spring or too much Nitrogen will cause fruit setting issues.

3/17/2006 10:12:03 AM

Ray, North Dakota

Eventually won't he have a nice, raised bed of dirt? Clippings and leaves shouldn't be a problem, just ask your neighbors to pitch in.

3/17/2006 2:29:51 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

How thick does the clay run is the real question?

3/17/2006 3:03:10 PM

Coolville, OH

I was thinking the same thing Shannon. My parents farm has a lot of clay. In some spots its 12 inches or more, in other spots only a couple of inches and you hit bedrock. What you have to watch with clay soil is using a rototiller. The blades can pack the clay and form a hard pan which roots cannot penetrate. Lots of organic matter and sand help loosen whats tilled, but the bottom of where the tiller dug could still get packed. Try to avoid tilling when the soil is damp. This is just from my own family's farming/gardening experience.

3/17/2006 3:48:53 PM

Sydney, Australia

Raised bed's work great! Let the clay lie, create perferct drainage!

3/17/2006 4:24:13 PM

Ontario

Bryan Dueck and myself are on clay. There is only one way build up, provides great drainage, warms the soil up quicker in the spring. We have built the garden up to about 4 feet in the middle.

drew

3/18/2006 7:55:18 AM

Ontario, Canada.

I would do all of the above and a couple of other items as well. If you are going to spend some money you can also truck in loamy soils and or sand to mix with the upper clay base. This can help you get a quick jump on new ground.

Double digging is another key factor in mixing in all the fixins you will be adding. You really want to mash things up good and get a good agitation with the parent clay base and stir it up real good.

Drainage is often another factor that limits fruit size on heavy clay soils. A compacted clay base will retain and trap ground water long after those heavy T-storms have passed. Soggy roots are not your friend, Mister Josh K. McDaniel. Now may be the best time to add tiles just below the double spade level. You can dig a Dry well pit if you don't have a natural run-off grade and run the weepers into it.

Consider adding large amounts of vermiculite, perlite or azomite to gain that very important space for the most often forgotten component in clay soil, Oxygen. Vermiculite can be bought in large bags in Ontario and should be found in Indiana easily. This tactic can bridge the gap to get a poor soiled patch on a good working foundation earlier than adding large amounts of OM quickly. To much OM can be as detrimental to your progeny as hard clay. Nutrient tie up issues with heavy OM applications can become a nightmare that keeps you awake at night. Balanced moderation of all ingredients will help you in the end.

3/18/2006 7:57:59 AM

ENGLAND

Josh
In addition to all the great advise given above i would like to add one small contribution here. If you can get a local farmer to come in with a tractor and chisle plough get him to rip down as deep as possible and as many passes as possible in 2 directions like a cross hatch or # pattern. What this will do is break that clay up, get air into the substructure of the clay and make it much easier to incorporate and till/dig in any OM you can get into that clay. You will also be creating drainage channels deeper than you will want to till/dig and this will help keep that ground from becoming a sticky mess in the future. Of course if the clay is shallow, and bed rock is near to the surface, a few trial holes first will be neccessary by digging some test holes to check the depth of clay before chislt ploughing.

just my one pennies worth
Mike

3/18/2006 11:44:54 AM

Sloughhouse, CA

I have clay where I am too. It has taken about 5 yrs. using goat manure from the neighbors. Try digging down to the hardpan and then build up with lots of organic matter.Since I don't have a lot of leaves I use the goat manure. The neighbors borrow our tractor and I get free manue. Kyle even has to help unload the flat bed. It has taken a lot of work. The grape growers bring huge caterpillars and deep rip. They also hit the rocks and catch the field on fire. The old timers would dynamite the hardpan to plant trees. Good luck with the clay soil.
Suzy

3/21/2006 11:13:53 PM