If you soak the area real well, it will be easier to dig. That's what we have to do in our brick hard clay soil. As long as it drains reasonably well (and it sounds like it is), you can plant directly into the clay with no problem. Just dig a wide, basin shaped hole...just deep enough so that your plants' root balls will be resting at or a little above the natural grade of the surrounding soil. Don't amend the planting hole nor the backfill with anything, but simply use what's there.

Mulch with an organic material of some sort...pine straw, wood or bark chips, bark fines. You could also spread compost over the top.

sounds like it would be a lot easier to raise the bed the needed 4 inches.. rather than hack thru that cement ...

ken

I have similar soil where I live, about the same distance down, it's not quite cement though but more a whitish soil that looks like cement when it's dry. I have been amending my soil, especially where I plant and it has seemed to help. My perennials come back every year and most of my shrubs seem to do okay. I don't think I could grow perennials or anything for that matter, with any consistency, without amending the soil first. I find it very interesting that you can plant right in heavy clay soil without doing anything, wish I had know that 4 years ago, it would have saved me a lot of grief.

Appreciate the responses.

ken, can't raise the bed - too close to neighbor's treated pine fence that can't have soil against it.

rhizo, further check on drainage showed water still standing more than a day later. Think this will be a better site for more shallow rooted perennials or maybe some of the Spirea Limemound I've got potted. They're really shallowly rooted.

linda, the recommendations re not amending planting holes came out here in Georgia 15 or 20 years ago. I might throw in a handful of cottonseed meal, nothing else. Adding compost around the plant works great - eventually is further composted by worms and other critters. You can find lots of info about this on the Soils Forum here on GW.

Rosie, Sugar Hill, GA

A long term solution - add a layer of composted manure to your planting beds each year. The earthworms will aerate your soil and you'll eventually be able to dig deeper and have a better quality soil.

Roses still in their pots. LOL.

kimcoco, I agree with your idea - only problem is that I have thousands of square feet to cover. May try to hire someone to physically move bulk purchased compost to the back, up the hill, further back - Lord, it stinks being old and scrawny.

One thing I've been doing for the soil is apply used coffee grounds. Have been getting up to 150#s (wet) a week from a Starbucks in new grocery. These have to be applied in really thin layers, but each layer can be added to in short order. They just disappear! Also using them with shredded leaves, maybe 5part leaves to 1 part grounds, then pour a gallon of urine, a bit of water. It's composting really really fast.

Rosie

Rosie, that job sounds like it stinks for someone young and bulky! LOL.

Lots of land, I don't envy your clay problem, at the same time I wouldn't mind having your problem with "all that land" -- I'm on a measly 1/8 acre lot and ran out of planting space a long time ago. :)

Sounds like finding plants well suited to your soil is the best short term option, and deal with the rest later down the road when your soil has improved.

Good luck with your project.

LOVE clay soil for the most part, kimcoco. Don't have it everywhere here - some really strange loamy stuff in the far back that is almost impossible to get enough water to. This place is just under 1/2 acre, almost all in the rear.

Love gardening, love the challenges and Lord help me, this place is a challenge.

Rosie, Sugar Hill, GA

I'm not trying to advertise any sort of product here, but I've used a mantis tiller in the past and it does very well at digging through hard clay soil. The soil will obviously have to be amended with some type of organic matter, and the deeper into the soil you get the better. Remember that these plants will want to be as big as possible, and the deeper the roots can go the larger the plant will be. When you're ready to amend your soil (I suggest waiting until fall to do this), do some heavy weeding beforehand. If you try to till the weeds under, they'll come back even bigger after the soil is amended. Anyways, in the fall, get as many bags of leaves as you can and dig them into your soil with the cultivator. In spring, you'll have some good soil for planting.

perennialfan, I agree wholeheartedly with you about the wonders of the Mantis tillers. I have the small one, can't recall what it's called, but it needs a carbeuretor rebuild. Your note has spurred me to call my local repair guy and get it back in operation.

There has been so much discussion about how tilling disturbs the food web in the soil that I'd opted to do without, but I won't be using it extensively, and would be using it where I absolutely can't make it with just a pile of heavy shovels, picks, etc.

Thanks much, Rosie