Georgia Red Clay Soil...What should we do?
FutureDriven
6 years ago
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Randy Man
6 years agoFutureDriven
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Belle of Georgia Peach and red holed leaves
Comments (3)Hmm, I thought I replied to this one. Yes its bacterial spot. Spray copper right after the leaves are gone this fall. Scott...See Moremixing sand with red clay soil - what really happens?
Comments (10)It seems that I will have to just try tilling together some sand and clay to see what effect that has on compaction, and the ability to loosen the soil mechanically (using a tractor, most likely). Now if only it would rain, so the soil was workable... FWIW, this is purely a soil structure question, it really has nothing to do with organics. I don't *want* anything to grow in this particular area, I do want the soil to drain well and not be like an adobe brick. At present, there is sand on top of a clay base. When its wet, its actually kind of slick. The sand drains, the clay at the interface holds tooo much water and that clay/sand interface creates slippery conditions. Cheers, Michelle...See MoreVeggies/Fruit that do well in red clay
Comments (2)I can't think of any edible plant that enjoys solid red clay. Is your garden just a red clay based soil or is it solid sticky clay? Can you shovel it and open it up? Very few plants grow in solid clay but a lot of veggies grow in red clay based garden soil. The herbs will want dry and gravel-y conditions in full sun. They don't like rich moist soil - well, except for basil and mints.. I would put your oregano and thyme in large pots rather than in the ground if you have clay soil. They need extra drainage and besides the oregano tends to take over the world. Don't expect the thyme to last forever, they tend to flourish and then die so you always have to start new plants or buy some every other year or so and they always do better in pots for me. The garlic needs the same winter hours that a tulip bulb does in order to grow properly so you should have planted it in the fall. If you don't get it soon I guess you could plant it but I wouldn't expect full sized bulbs this first year. In the fall you would need to replant them after breaking up the bulbs into individual cloves. Cilantro is also a cool weather herb around here so I wouldn't give it a prime spot in the garden because once it gets hot it will disappear. Collect seeds and start them early next spring. I would think about planting all the veggies that produce edible roots or tubers in the deepest ammended soil and plant the above ground plants in the less ammended soil. Carrots and taters and such need looser soil to fill out so they might struggle in hard clay. You can always mound up better soil on top of your clay soil - much easier than digging everything out....See MoreRed clay soil
Comments (18)judy, I did what tifbee did. Clay is good and bad. It's good because it will hold water and does have organic material in it. It's bad because it can get as hard as concrete if not mulched and be difficult to work with. I know you are anxious to get out there and plant stuff, but if you can be patient and take this first year to prepare your soil, you will be much better off. A spade fork works wonders! You can break up the hard clay and amend using a tiller. I've found that composted manure, natures miracle (available in HD) or just plain top soil or garden soil mixed in helps. The next most important thing is mulch. You cannot leave clay soil unmulched. If it's dry, it will become hard, if it rains, it will wash away. Once you plant you plants, the soil will revert back to its original state in a year or two anyway, but by breaking it up prior to planting, you will give your plants a better start to spread their roots and get nutrients. And by mulching you will add a layer of topsoil that is needed. You can also just keep mulching every year or so to build on that topsoil. For veggies, you may be better off doing the raised beds with all amended soil for tomatoes and such. Since tomatoes are really annuals, they would do better with very rich soil....See Morevvbboonn
6 years agokillerv
5 years agoKevin Reilly
5 years agoreeljake
5 years agovvbboonn
5 years agoRandy Man
5 years agoHU-532189
5 years agorifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
5 years agoFutureDriven
5 years agoAmy W.
5 years agodchall_san_antonio
5 years agorjinga
4 years agorjinga
4 years agodchall_san_antonio
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