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East Facing UK Garden + Clay
On 8/9/12 4:34 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
David E. Ross wrote: On 8/8/12 10:12 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote: David E. Ross wrote: On 8/8/12 2:02 PM, mdemetri2 wrote: Hi, I have been 4 years in my current home, and the back garden pretty much each year needs some new plants and shrubs. Although I admit we have in the past bought what looks nice and arent necessarily suited for our east facing heavy clay moisture retaining soil. Firstly, I have over the last 2 months or so being contemplating removing the soil/clay from our flower bed about a foot or so and replacing with new soil mixed in with sand but adding more depth - so allowing for a total of 15 inches of decent soil to replace the harsh stuff we have now. Lots of digging out and replacing.....good idea? What you propose will create an interface between top soil and subsoil. Many plant roots will not cross that interface. OK but it is a flower garden this may not be a problem. D At the end of the original message, mdemetri2 mentioned planting shrubs and perennials. For those, this would indeed be a problem. How are you going to remove the barrier 15in or more down, how deep does the clay have to be amended, how will you know when you have done it and how long will that take? Maybe the answer instead is not to use deep rooted plants or to build up mounds several feet high. D If the clay is treated with gypsum to make it more porous and if the top foot of clay is tilled with new top soil, the interface between the top soil and the clay subsoil will be blurred. Clay is often rich in nutrients other than nitrogen. With careful use of fertilizer and with infrequent but deep watering, plant roots will grow down below that blurred interface into the clay. My natural soil is heavy adobe clay. What I have suggested here is based on my experience, especially my use of gypsum. Every year, I use at least 50 pounds (23 kg) of gypsum in my garden; some years, I use 150 pounds (70 kg). Other than the obstructions caused by tree roots, I can dig the soil quite easily; and my plants -- all perennials, shrubs, and trees -- seem to thrive. No, I do not have a large garden. My total lot is slightly less than 0.25 acre (0.1 hectare), including the footprint of my house and the extreme slope that I describe at http://www.rossde.com/garden/garden_back.html#hill. -- David E. Ross Climate: California Mediterranean, see http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary |
#2
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East Facing UK Garden + Clay
"David E. Ross" wrote in message
If the clay is treated with gypsum to make it more porous and if the top foot of clay is tilled with new top soil, the interface between the top soil and the clay subsoil will be blurred. Clay is often rich in nutrients other than nitrogen. With careful use of fertilizer and with infrequent but deep watering, plant roots will grow down below that blurred interface into the clay. Given the amount of rain the UK has had over the past summer, watering is probably not really needed. In fact it's possible that this area could end up as I suggested - like a bog garden. |
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