On 22/02/2012 10:12, Martin Brown wrote:
On 22/02/2012 08:28, RobertM wrote:
My name is Robert and im a keen gardener from Wales ! !

Now that we have gotten the formalities out of the way we can get down
to business !
My question to you is this - If i want to plant shrubs , plants and
flowers in soil which is clay then how do i first of all prepare the
ground ?

Depends on the plants you want to grow. If you choose things that
actually like a clay soil then you don't have to do very much at all.

That is very true. The problem with trying to work clay is that you can
only do it a couple of days every year - at other times it's too wet or
too dry! If it's wet, everything clings to the tool; if it's dry, you
can't get a tool into it - even a rotavator will ride over the surface.

Clay is fertile enough - just not very good at drainage. You can often
grow acid loving plants in it too with only minor adjustments.

I had a blueberry grow, .and fruit reasonably well, in clay soil (pH
around 6) for several years.

I have a pretty heavy clay soil and most shrubs grow fine on it.

It is asking for trouble growing things that want well drained sandy
soil and you will have to work hard improving the soil texture and
adding lots of compost, sand and grit (and/or raised beds on a slope).
My asparagus bed is something of a joke although we do get some...

One thing often recommended to "improve" clay is gypsum. Not only is a
fair amount needed, and repeat application necessary every couple of
years, but with gypsum chalk is being added and any lime-haters happy in
clay will not like the "improvement" at all.

--

Jeff