Amending Clay Soil for Temporary Container Planting?
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (11)
Related Discussions
Raised beds vs clay (amended) soil
Comments (6)Hi, My soil is very heavy red clay. It is hard to work. When it is wet it is clumpy and sticky and when it is dry it is like a fine ceramic. In fact, I actually made a pot out of it one time. It is very fertile, but a little acidic. Anyway, I build raised beds most of the time, just to save myself and my DH the hassle of trying to dig the clay. In my veggie garden, years of ammendments and green manure have finally created workable soil. And there are several flowerbeds around the house that are ammended clay. But mostly I build beds with timbers and imported soil. You can do it either way depending on the drainage and your patience. Good luck! Kathy...See MoreSoil 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 that 'ole Red clay soil-
Comments (10)The Phlomis isn't particularly wild about soil being super acidic. It naturally grows in Syria, in stoney outcrops. So it would prefer dry, rocky, limestone soil. If you have red clay, this is would be the opposite to the conditions in your garden. However, you can still grow it. I would NOT recommend simply ammending each "planting hole" as your landscaper suggested. It is far better to ammend a large growing area all at once. If you just ammend holes the first time around, then you have pockets of well draining soil right next to pockets of possibly soggy soil ( this is if you are gardening in clay, mind you). Also, the addition of pine bark mulch as your sole ammendment (if that's what was put in), can further acidify the soil. Your phlomis would do fantastically well for you if you dig (as in at least double dig) in LOTS, and I mean it takes LOTS of sharp builders sand. This sand contains copieous amounts of sharp and larger sand particles often with high limestone content that will leach into the soil. Another trick? Plant a hunk of old concrete right by your phlomis after you ammend the soil with other materials! This works with lavender, thymes and other limestone lovers too! Doesn't have to be a huge large piece either. Walkways, and sidewalk cement is a great thing to use. Also, planting your limestone loving plants by the curb also helps. A word of warning with phlomis. It also likes a lean soil, and our clay is nutritious. I would avoid ammending with copious amounts of manures, or compost alone. Mixed with the sand, this is great. But alone it helps hold in water AND break up soil particles. You want less water too. GGG...See MoreWill plants that don't make it help amend soil or clay?
Comments (7)Do, do keep your photos of your yard now - and brag later! Before and after... Plectranthus ciliatus is a South African plant which does awfully well under trees. Awfully. In a lot of our areas it settles down and suppresses native plants with much efficiency. Frost whacks it back but it does recover to go on its way. Zones 9-11 usually, but will probably do its best in a zone 8 microclimate. OK for a patch but you'd have to be desperate to bulk plant it, IMO. I've not been clear, and I apologise. Humus is ancient compost. When all the bacteria, fungi, bugs, worms and weather have finished with the banana skin you popped into your compost bin humus is what is left - and a thin layer it is, too. That's why gardeners keep adding more of it. Mulch is the top layer. It can be 'hard mulch' such as gravel or shells. There are some plants which do brilliantly with that kind of mulch - lavender, for example. There's reflected heat for the top and cool feet for the roots. It is also surprisingly good at retaining moisture. Softer mulch such as bark cambium or nuggets. Single season mulches such as a layer of newpaper topped with grass clippings or shredded small (ie no fatter than quarter inch diameter) twigs and green leaves. Always put mulches on when the ground is wet. Know that having the mulch can 'slow down your season' because the soil stays cooler. That can be either a drawback - or a plus if your hot weather comes in with a rush and saddens any flowers you have out. In the 'middle' of these two - humus and mulch - is compost. And it varies a lot. You can put it on when you can still tell what some of the ingredients were - and use it as mulch. Or you can wait for a couple of years and use it when it has a nice earthy smell, feels delightful to put your hands in, and you'd never know what it was made of. Making compost is a bit like making bread dough. If you can do one - you've a good chance of success with the other. It's all about ingredients and activators, warmth and moisture. It is NOT tricky. Nature does it all the time. Look at what happens to fall leaves... What you the gardener are trying to do is to increase the thickness of the humus-rich layer on the top - and the depth to which roots can go - plus the worms. My own personal view as a clay soil gardener is to minimise the amount of digging/rototilling that's done from year to year. The worms set up their runs and burrows and start shifting food particles down to where the roots can make use of the food - and we come and remake the bed! Dig over when you take out plants at the end of a season, add more compost on top and fork it through the top 6-12 inches (it will happen!), then mostly leave it alone - and stay OFF the beds as much as possible. When fall comes - stash some plastic totes in the vehicle - ignore the stares - and scrounge as many fallen leaves as you legally can. You can either put them directly on bare soil, or into the compost heap. Or, best of all, hold them in a plastic container, add some water so they're damp, and let them rot in their container in a quiet patch in the garden for a couple of years or so to turn into precious leaf mould (aka humus). It's great for adding to containers for growing plants that like a touch of 'soil' in the mix to do well....See Morewestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
3 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agotropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)
3 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)
3 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
3 years agotropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESHouzz TV: Make a Worm Bin for Rich Soil and Happy Plants
A worm-powered compost bin that can fit under a sink turns food scraps into a powerful amendment for your garden. Here’s how to make one
Full StoryCONTAINER GARDENSContainer Garden Basics: How and When to Water Potted Plants
Confused about soil moisture, the best time to water and what watering device to use? This guide can help
Full StoryCONTAINER GARDENSContainer Gardening Basics: The Dirt on Soil
Learn the types of potting soil available and the best mixes to help your containers thrive
Full StoryGARDENING 101How to Choose the Right Plant Container
Keep plants healthy and container gardens looking good by beginning with the right pot size and shape
Full StoryGARDENING 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 GUIDES9 Clay-Busting Native Flowers for Summer Sun
These plants survive and even thrive in tough clay soil east of the Rocky Mountains
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNHow to Shape a Rain Garden and Create the Right Soil for It
Learn how to grade, lay out and amend the soil in your rain garden to support your plants
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Bouteloua Curtipendula
Hot, dry clay or rocky soils are sideoats grama’s pleasure ground
Full StoryFARM YOUR YARDHow to Get Good Soil for Your Edible Garden
The nutrients in your soil feed the plants that feed you. Here are tips on getting it right — just in time for planting season
Full Story
morpheuspa2