How do you garden in clay?

the Ace Hardware up along Durant Road carries it, too Yotedog, cheaper than Witherspoons, if I recall correctly.

don't know about that, ardesia, think I used some that came in a box, but pretty sure they were the real styrofoam, and the roots did one darn fine job of breaking them up. but, no, they didn't become mush, just tiny particles.

I live in a subdiv where they must've removed all the top soil except about 3" when they built here. Underneath is solid, rock-hard clay.

I have a lasagna bed with daylilies, and some perennials like coreopsis, yarrow, some dahlias, etc.

The soil I put in originally has compacted down so there's only about 4" now. So, it's either too dry or - the water sits on the clay and soaks the roots.

I want to put in several new inches of soil. Can I do this without digging everything out of there?? (I'm a lazy gardener when I can get away with it. ;-> )

Deb

Read Margot Rochester's latest book, "Down to Earth". Great ideas for simplifying the garden.

Hmm...DebinSC--I wouldn't add too much soil. Lots of plants won't bloom (or will rot) if they are buried too deep--especially if the crown is buried. Besides, if the water is sitting on the clay base, and you aren't raising your plants, but just raising the soil level, your plants will still be too wet.

I was afraid that would be the answer. :) And you know - duh - you're so right about it not raising the plants.

I think I'll just dig everything out in autumn and rework the whole bed.
I did break up the clay when I originally made the bed and "amended" as best I could since I didn't have any hand grenades to break it up more than a few inches.

Thanks!

Deb, combine the techniques above and give it a try. Dig and amend with claybuster (pelleted gypsum) or similar plys plenty of pine fines and some compost. Layer with newspaper or plain cardboard and leaves. Then let it 'work' and you should have beds deep enough for the perrenials.
One thing that seems to work pretty well for me is to make a raised section back from the edge (so that you have tiers like a wedding cake?) and mound that high with well-draining humousy soil with lots of compost. I did that last fall in a bed that was a 'bathtub' and it is ever so much better now. I used larger nursery pots - removed the bottom and cut down the side. Used three to make a sorta scalloped curve, then filled behind it. If you look at the bed sideways it looks like this with the pot rims on the left

/= Cut pot edge makes a steep dam on one side, a gentle slope on the other

/ --**-------***----__**____
ground level ____.#../ -------###-----.........________ ground level

# = plants that are shallow rooted or don't mind wet feet
*= plants that like better drainage.

you could do the same thing with bricks, but I did not have any on hand at the time and I did not want to stop and go buy some, so I cut pots.

The heavy newspaper mulch and leaves will encourage the earthworms to come and do the work for you.

BTW, I asked the forums about just adding raked up leaves to the bed above and planting into (someone said it is called "Compsting In Place" , they said to go for it. Perennials are doing great!

Thanks for that info. Really appreciated! You even figured out how to include illustrations. :) The terracing kind of thing is a great idea.

When I did the bed originally, I broke up the clay as best I could, mixed in - I think it was - lime and pine straw and a few leaves. Then I laid down news paper, then about 8" of nice soil on top. I just don't think I did enough of the hard part - the breaking up part.

The good news is I have seen earthworms in there - the bad is the clay is still making it a "bathtub" as you said.

I'll print out some of this thread's advice and re-work in the fall.

debinsc - I think around here, even in the ritzy new neighborhoods, they take away ALL the topsoil. you were lucky to have any left behind!

only thing that breaks our clay is a pickax, or a Kabota. I've found I prefer to spend less on plants and more on hiring the fella with the Kabota!

but, yes, I think building up your beds above the surrounding clay works much much better for many plants, especially roses, rhododendrons, azaleas, etc. anything that easily suffocates in heavy clay and water.

It sound slike the lcay in Raleigh end of the state and in SC is even worse that what we have here in the Foothills. We really didn't worry about the clay as much as we just keep adding loads and loads of clippings, straw mulch, plough down crops, work in finished crops before they turn brown, manure when we can get it, leaves in the Fall. Our fluffy dirt is about 12-18 inches deep and we find this is plenty deep enought o grow just about anything, except carrots.

And don't forget cover crops.....let them do some of the work or you!