Fixing Clay Soil for Vegetable Garden?

Question

this soil is so hard, if left untouched for just a few days it will nearly turn to rock. i have new soil on top of this but it is not mixed in well. i already have plants in the garden and cannot take them all out. i think i know what to add but do not know how without removing/ messing with all the plants. tips?

Answer 1

I strongly suggest you put in a 20% to 25% COCONUT COIR amendment to your top soil. Coir has high calcium which breaks down compaction in soil. Many organic gardeners who use coconut coir did not have to use anymore perlite nor peat moss.

Answer 2

For now, mix in some good quality potting soil in between the plants.. do so gently as to not disturb the roots. Get some garden gypsum and mix it into the soil as well. This will help the clay a little. it does take a little time for the gypsum to work, but it will. Be sure that you mulch your plants in after doing this.

For next year's garden, buy some compost and/or peat moss and integrate it into the soil, (as well as your mulch and what's left of the plants from this summer).. if you have leaves from your property, you could add some of them as well. Rototill or spade all of this into the soil. sprinkle some balanced fertilizer (like 12-12-12) onto the soil and then turn it again (till or spade) and let it rest for the winter.

When spring rolls around, give the soil another turn and add a little more fertilizer and compost (or potting soil), then do your planting. Be sure to mulch in your plants and fertilize a little. Next fall, repeat this process.

Every year, you'll be building your crappy clay into better and richer garden soil.. after the first couple of years, you likely won't need gypsum any longer because the organic content of the soil will take care of keeping the clay from clumping up.

It takes time to turn clay into garden soil, but if you work the soil and add the organics to it, you will be rewarded with MUCH better soil in the future.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

With plants already in there, I'm not sure of my suggestion. I have been Gardening for over 25 years in far North Texas, and our clay is rock hard.

As bad as it sounds, with the cost of commercial products, over the years, I've learned from the old timers how to ammend clay soil with little fuss and cost. This is tried and true.

Using a cheap powder laundry detergent, take a hand full of dry powder in your hand and cover the ground as if it were a dusting of light snow. Then water in for a few minutes until the powder disappears. Several benefits happen when doing this: First, it breaks up the clay. Then it allows air to get to the roots where it is needed. And it kills grubs and other bad insects right where they live without the fuss and mess of using other products.

I do take the chance of using a solution of of liquid dish detergent (not dish washer detergent) and other cheap items to spray onto all my plants including veggies. From my huge roses, to hollies, grass to veggies, this keeps them bug free, disease free, and growing in black healthy soil that isn't clay.

When a program such as this is used which is extreemly simple and less time comsumming, other products for green grass aren't needed and it is never difficult to remove the grass with a pick ax to make another garden area.

If I'm emailed through yahoo answers, I'm willing to provide some solutions of mixes for certain problems if I know your are of the growing world. It might take a few to email you back, as I do have Committees and Boards I belong to, but don't mind helping a fellow gardener.

Have fun....but in the mean time, I don't recommend you place bark mulch or straw in the rows as this will give excellent cover for the bugs to live and breed, plus mildew and other diseases. Also be careful about adding lime or other stuff as this can burn the tender roots of the veggies.

Answer 4

You should mix in all the nutrient rich material you can like peat moss, sphagnum, leaf grow, compost or manure, etc or any combo you like. There are so many different soil conditioners to choose from. Your soil, for best results should look almost black. They even sell Garden Soil at Walmart with everything in it for us lazy gardeners. I turn over and mix down at least 6 inches. Your garden will grow but it might struggle so mix in as much as you can without disturbing what's already growing. The roots will find the nutrients. You can also water often with plant food to get down to the roots. Good Luck with your garden. It is a very rewarding hobby.

Answer 5

Mix peat moss and compose with the soil, loosen the dirt between plants, try not to disturb the roots.

Answer 6

I'm in Oklahoma and we are all about clay soil. Here is what I did and it worked beautifully. Add sand, manure, grass clippings, hay or straw, till all together or turn over with a shovel. Mulch with regular mulch or straw and keep moist. Throw in some earthworms for aeration and fertilization.

Answer 7

Peat moss mixed in, you can spade it in around the existing plants.

Answer 8

add manuere...and top with wood chips