Help!! Amending Clay Soil
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8 years ago
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Soil amendments for clay soil in TN
Comments (12)Im not so sure that was the meaning. First clear away any soil that covers up the root flare. Don't be surprised if you find this severely buried under several inches of soil when you get the tree. That is common. Then once you have found the root flare, where the trunk flares out where it meets the beginning of the roots, this is what you want a little above the level of surrounding ground to compensate for settling. The important thing is that the root flare is exposed. If you're starting with a b&b tree, put it in the planting hole so that approximately 10% is sticking out above the surrounding ground, then remove any soil covering the root flare. Adjust the depth of the planting hole if necessary. If you are planting a containerized tree, it is easy enough to expose the root flare prior to planting. Set it so that it's a couple inches above the ground. I don't think I mentioned this before but dig a wide planting hole, preferably 3 times the width of the tree container or soil ball. It doesn't have to be deep but it should be wide. This will loosen up the soil for more rapid establishment and is preferred over amendments....See MoreAmending a garden bed with clay like soil
Comments (15)Hi Janice! Some ideas: 1. You CAN do a lasagne bed & plant in it now - (you'd have to remove your existing plants first) - just "build it", then "cut" the holes into it, add some soil or compost to the holes when you plant the plant into it, and voila! Several people on this forum have said that they've done this (prior to the lasagne bed decomposing) w/success. :) 2. Consider using STRAW as a mulch - w/ or w/o the other mulch you may use - straw is great organic matter and decomposes fairly quickly, and according to several posters on this forum, is pretty darn close to an ideal OM addition and/or mulch. 3. One thing to consider is that some bagged compost (although almost any compost is better than no compost) has less organic matter than others - e.g. a poster here pointed out that the "composted manure" (which I buy b/c there's no alternative @ garden center) that I buy has less OM than a vegetative-based (grass & leaves etc) compost has. 4. Another source for compost - check out your local municipalities - my County dump (which is different than my town recycling center) has FREE compost (made from leaves & grass clippings that other residents dump off), and I really like it too! 5. Do you have access to leaves? These are a great organic matter addition. Some use shredded leaves as a wonderful mulch that disappears into the soil and feeds the soil microbes. I added tons of whole leaves to my bed last year (w/some dried blood), and added a few worms this spring, and of course added compost & mulch, and we have tons of happy worms now :) Hope this helps, All the Best, Tree...See Moreliquid soil aerator? clay amendments, etc
Comments (9)We did use the liquid soil aerator, and it worked great for us. The back of my yard was too shady for grass, so I bought some bulbs to plant last winter. You couldn't get an inch down in the soil. My husband tried a power drill with a wide drill bit, but even that wouldn't go into the soil. I ordered the aerator on line, not expecting much. I am happy to say, we are now planting bushes and shrubs in the back with no problem. Also, we have used this in our entire yard, and our grass was beautiful last year. Now, we did use it more than once. I think all together 4 times in the trouble spots, but after the first application, you could tell a very noticeable difference....See MoreSoil Amendments For Clay
Comments (14)I don't see how replacing the organic material is a problem. If you're gardening on the soil, you're going to have material you're not using, just put it back (or save time and effort and just never remove it). If you receive anything made of paper or cardboard, you can put it on the plot about as easily as you could put it in the trash can. If you have any decorative plants that requite trimming back (such as a lawn), the stuff you cut off has to go somewhere, it might as well be gathered up and put where it will do you good. And when/if you do import organic material, one often-free option available in bulk also lasts a long time before it breaks down completely, and helps hold moisture in place to save you water and the time and effort to apply it: wood chips from a local tree trimmer service have to be dumped somewhere, it might as well be at your house for mulch....See MoreCC
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