Problem Clay soil - Page 2 - Problem solving

Pennine Petal

15/02/2013 at 23:51

I can grow purple loosestrife! Sloping site, catches the wind, sun most of the day on 2/3 of the garden, but not as far north as you. Right up on the Pennines though so we always get the bad weather. Perhaps I just started out with some poor specimens. Will try again this year. I have seen some growing at the side of the road up the hill from me. Perhaps I will go and pinch some!

Bunny ...

16/02/2013 at 00:06

We were given ours as garden fillers from friend of OH into non clay garden. In front , part are in rubble/hoggin bark clay side , sun from lunch til sunset, others are in heavy clay topped with bark , shade most of day til evening under beech trees (40ft high) ...spread ! Neighbour has them now too(she is a play thief) and hers will be clay /soil 20+yr old garden. Pinch some you have seen and try those

otherwise I shall dig mine up and bring them

Bunny ...

16/02/2013 at 00:08

Play thief? Plant !

obelixx

16/02/2013 at 11:37

As Bob and others have said, clay soil is very fertile and will grow many plants very well but you do need to be patient and very generous adding layers of well rotted manure and/or garden compost every autumn. The worms will work it in for you over the winter and the prodding with a garden fork will help aerate as well as improve drainage.

Friends of mine have just such a one hectare garden they started 9 years ago. They make their own compost and also buy in tonnes of council compost every autumn. He then spends December and January barrowing it around the beds. Even after a few years it's making a huge difference and they grow a wide variety of trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and bulbs and hardy perennials so there's something to look at or smell all year round.

Mabs

Yesterday at 22:59

Mabs

I have dry soil in part of my flower beds, no amount of watering helps, the water just "sits" on top of the soil. Can anybody help with ideas/suggestios.

fidgetbones

Today at 03:47

Lots of well rotted farm yard manure or spent mushroom compost

Dovefromabove

Today at 06:50

It sounds as if the soil is compacted - as Fidgetbones says, dig in lots of manure and/or compost - you need to attract lots of earthworms.

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