How to build better soil than clay?
bonitapplebum
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (46)
bonitapplebum
6 years agoRelated Discussions
New build - small flower garden - clay soil
Comments (10)Clau soil particles are a mineral and do not "break down", it is the organic matter thaat gets mixed into the clay that gets digested by the soil bacteria. Some types of clay do not seem to allow organic matter to mix, there seems to be some kind of barrier at the soil/mulch interface that prevents mixing so those soils need to have some organic matter tilled into the soil first. Once that is done then mulches add to the OM in the soil with no problem. However, wood chips and shredded bark seem to be the most common types of mulch material that presents this problem. I would find some good compost and work that into that soil first and them apply the mulch....See MoreWill my clay soil ever get better
Comments (52)Thanks Val. The pipe pot design is all my own. I got the idea for them when I was inspired to give zinnia hybridizing a try on the annuals forum. I needed a container large enough to grow zinnias to first bloom. Zinnias don't like to be transplanted, so I needed something with almost zero root disturbance. The large volume of potting mix needed looked cost prohibited unless I could use my loose garden soil and get it planted without the soil falling apart and damaging the roots. I explained what I would try back in January ... (for Otis, the planting tool is shown) "Pipe Pots" Back to the subject of clay ... As was noted by others in this thread, best science says not to amend clay when planting trees and shrubs. The same can be said for perennials. Because the organics decompose, are used up, and the soil returns to the original clay. One can grow annuals in clay by amending with huge quantities of compost added each year. But once you tire of fighting the good fight, the soil returns to clay. What happens if you amend with sand? I said I had an example of long term effects of sand amendment, and now that the sun has come out I have photos and video. The photo below was made back around 1994. The pinks and snaps are spilling from a bed filled with a sand/clay mix made from the same type clay shown in my first post. The bed was in an area that would be destroyed in a grading change and I abandoned gardening there in 1995. Since then the only activity there has been a once a year cut back of all weeds and growth from the bed. No organics were ever added to this bed and for over 10 years it has not been disturbed, dug, fertilized, or watered. The new retaining walls are now being built and the new grading done. There is a small part of the original bed still remaining with the bed wall removed. In the photo below I have outlined the spot where the snaps and pinks were growing. Please note the dark color of the soil is nothing like the look of a fresh sand/clay mix as I have shown in earlier posts. It is the natural buildup of humus in a fertile soil complex. One might begin to wonder if high humus soil is merely an indicator of fertility rather than a cause of fertility. I repeat, no compost was ever added to this soil. I took a sample of the soil, shown below. Click the photo for a short video. The video shows that after more than 10 years of compaction, the soil can still be dug with a hand spade. The sample was taken after several rainy days and is very wet, but it's not mud and could be dug and worked. Note there is none of the normal soil peds of a good topsoil, but the permanent texture of a sand clay mix is obvious. Many small clay lumps persist in the mix and I mashed one to a small disk in the foreground of the photo. I seldom find a worm in my sand/clay beds. Worms are not necessary for fertility in all soils. For soils that contain greater than 50% clay, the books are all wrong to say don't amend with sand....See MoreWhich is Better at Building the Soil - Pine Bark Mulch or Cedar Mulch?
Comments (6)Neither of them is going to contribute much to the soil short term. Both are very durable materials (provided what species tree the "cedar" actually comes from - too many different conifers are referred to as "cedar", of which most are not) and used as mulch will take considerable time (several years) to break down/decompose enough to the point they release nutrients back into the soil. btw, wood chip or bark mulches do not rob nitrogen from the soil. That is a tough to kill garden myth :-) Nitrogen tie up (not robbing or stealing) occurs during decomposition of the wood product by soil organisms and only happens if the wood product is incorporated into the soil, not if left on the soil surface as a mulch. And is of minimal consequence to established woody plants, like any fruit trees. It is also only a temporary condition, resulting in a net release of N long term. If you want a fast acting mulch that will encourage soil improvement and biological activity, mulch with compost or composted manure. You will get an almost immediate effect. You can always bark over the top if you want a more long term appearance....See MoreHow to correct for compact/clay soil in container pot - cherry tree
Comments (5)There are several issues inherent in using large fractions of topsoil and coir in a medium intended for use in containers. The main ones are excess water retention and insufficient aeration. The excess water retention can be fixed as easily as judicious use of ballast or partially burying the pot into the ground such that the bottom of the pot is a few inches below the grade level. This turns the entire earth into a giant-size wick and will remove all or nearly all excess water. While this increases o/a air porosity by virtue of the conspicuous fact it removes excess water, it still might not ensure there is enough air porosity to keep the plants content. Coir doesn't retain loft well (it compacts easily), and holds more water than peat. There are also chemical considerations associated with using significant fractions of coir and CHCs in potting medium (more than 10-20%). All coir/CHC products are very high in K, very low in Ca, and have a potentially high Mn content, which can interfere with the uptake of Fe. Several studies have also shown that the significant presence of phenolic allelochemicals in fresh coir/CHCs can be very problematic for a high % of plants, causing poor growth and reduced yields. The pH of coir/CHCs is high enough that the use of dolomitic lime is precluded as a source of Ca/Mg, and both have potential to have excessive EC/TDS (salt) levels. Repotting now would require you free yourself from the dogmatic convention that you should never remove top growth when you repot or transplant. That's fine advice when all you're doing is dropping a B&B tree or a tree fresh out of a nursery can into a hole in the ground, even though that's a decidedly poor strategy as well, unless you bare-root and correct root issues which brings you full circle to the fact it's pretty much necessary to significantly reduce trees' top mass or completely defoliate if you do significant root work, and especially if you bare root. Appropriately reworking the roots requires your tree is healthy enough it has enough in the way of energy reserves to push a new flush of growth. If you fear it doesn't due to recent/current low vitality levels, best bet would be to remove the tree from the pot as is and put it in the ground until just before bud movement next spring, at which time it can be relifted and the root issues corrected w/o need to reduce the canopy. This is true because quiescent buds of deciduous trees tend to remain in that state until the tree's chemical messengers signal plant central the volume of roots is sufficient to meet the water needs of new breaking buds coming on line. Al...See Morebonitapplebum
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoUser
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoemmarene9
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agoUser
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoemmarene9
6 years agola_kitty
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agola_kitty
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agobonitapplebum thanked JXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)lgteacher
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agohoovb zone 9 sunset 23
6 years agoemmarene9
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoemmarene9
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agobonitapplebum thanked JXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)bonitapplebum
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESHow to Stop Worrying and Start Loving Clay Soil
Clay has many more benefits than you might imagine
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGardening Solutions for Heavy Clay Soils
What’s a gardener to do with soil that’s easily compacted and has poor drainage? Find out here
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESWhat to Do This Fall to Build Healthy Garden Soil
Take advantage of the cool season to improve soil texture and replenish nutrients
Full StoryCONTRACTOR TIPSBuilding Permits: What to Know About Green Building and Energy Codes
In Part 4 of our series examining the residential permit process, we review typical green building and energy code requirements
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGBuild a Raised Bed to Elevate Your Garden
A bounty of homegrown vegetables is easier than you think with a DIY raised garden bed to house just the right mix of soils
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESLearn the Secret to Bigger and Better Roses
Grow beautiful roses using both ordinary and unusual soil amendments
Full StoryARCHITECTUREHow to Artfully Build a House on a Hillside
Let your site's slope inspire your home's design, rather than fight it
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESInvite Cellophane Bees to Your Garden by Providing Patches of Bare Soil
Look for cellophane bees (Colletes) pollinating flowering trees and shrubs in U.S. gardens this spring
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESSo You Want to Build: 7 Steps to Creating a New Home
Get the house you envision — and even enjoy the process — by following this architect's guide to building a new home
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGBuild a Beautiful Platform Deck in a Weekend
Create a polished outdoor space for entertaining by building a basic DIY platform deck in your own backyard
Full Story
JXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)