My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms. Have decided to try double
digging the borders. Is this a good idea? What should I dig in - I've got
some sharp sand and compost. Will this do - I can't really afford grit .
Would appreciate any advice

Also what is the best technique for actually breaking up the great, hard
lumps. Hitting them with a spade just seems to make them harder! TIA,
Hayley

There are many things you can do to improve your clay soil. If you
live near a sugar beet processing factory you could get a load of sandy
soil delivered and spread it on top of the clay. This comes from the
washing of the beet which is grown in sandy soil. You will probably
find it has a slight molasses smell to it. Apart from that I would
suggest you need to encourage worms to live in your soil and that you
get as much compost or manure material into as you can lay your hands
on. Don't go to the bother of digging in the compost though, just
leave it on top of your clay soil and the few worms that you do have in
the soil will start to feed on it and drag it down into the soil very
soon making a good quality top soil. If you can get straw bales at a
reasonable price try spreading straw on top of the clay and letting it
rot down. With a thick enough layer it will also act as a mulch to
depress weed growth. Once again the worms will drag the decaying straw
down into the earth and improve the quality of your soil.

H Ryder wrote:

My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms. Have decided to try double
digging the borders. Is this a good idea? What should I dig in - I've got
some sharp sand and compost. Will this do - I can't really afford grit .
Would appreciate any advice

The easiest way is to add a mulch of compost on top. And let the worms
do the work of digging it in! Double digging may not help that much if
the deeper subsoil is (as seems likely) even purer clay.

Digging when it is not dry rock hard, wet enough to lubricate the spade
but not to stick to everything thick layers makes life easier.
Unfortunately there is a very narrow window where digging clay is easy.

Also what is the best technique for actually breaking up the great, hard
lumps. Hitting them with a spade just seems to make them harder! TIA,

Wait until winter and let the frosts get at them. With or without the
aid of a proprietory clay breaker to flocculate the clay. Loads of
organic bulky material on the top will help a lot.

Regards,
Martin Brown

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms. Have decided to try
double
digging the borders. Is this a good idea? What should I dig in - I've got
some sharp sand and compost. Will this do - I can't really afford grit .
Would appreciate any advice

Also what is the best technique for actually breaking up the great, hard
lumps. Hitting them with a spade just seems to make them harder! TIA,
Hayley



I have such a soil.
Apply whatever organic you can, dried hops from breweries, spent mushroom
compost, composted bark........... But dont expect miracles, it take a
season or three. By the way, I dug mine in, its not worth it

Hazel

In article , H Ryder
writes
My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms. Have decided to try double
digging the borders. Is this a good idea?

Probably not. The clay you have at the surface is as nothing to the clay
you'll have two spits down.

What should I dig in - I've got
some sharp sand and compost. Will this do - I can't really afford grit .
Would appreciate any advice

Also what is the best technique for actually breaking up the great, hard
lumps.

A pickaxe.

Hitting them with a spade just seems to make them harder! TIA,


Spread a 6 inch deep layer of compost over your borders. Worm activity
will incorporate the compost into the soil (they're fast breeders, and
even though you don't have many to start with, you soon will once you
start spreading compost).

Meanwhile start a compost heap if you don't already have one, and
continue spreading 6 inch of compost each year.

This will be more effective than trying to improve the soil by a once-
off digging in of compost and sharp sand.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

writes
My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms. Have decided to try
double
digging the borders. Is this a good idea?

Probably not. The clay you have at the surface is as nothing to the clay
you'll have two spits down.

What should I dig in - I've got
some sharp sand and compost. Will this do - I can't really afford grit .
Would appreciate any advice

Also what is the best technique for actually breaking up the great, hard
lumps.

A pickaxe.

Hitting them with a spade just seems to make them harder! TIA,


Spread a 6 inch deep layer of compost over your borders. Worm activity
will incorporate the compost into the soil (they're fast breeders, and
even though you don't have many to start with, you soon will once you
start spreading compost).

Meanwhile start a compost heap if you don't already have one, and
continue spreading 6 inch of compost each year.

This will be more effective than trying to improve the soil by a once-
off digging in of compost and sharp sand.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"


I have a question for those that say to surface spread the compost. How do
you keep it in place, the birds here spread it all over the place ?

Hazel

Hazel wrote:

writes

My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms.

Spread a 6 inch deep layer of compost over your borders. Worm activity
will incorporate the compost into the soil (they're fast breeders, and
even though you don't have many to start with, you soon will once you
start spreading compost).

Meanwhile start a compost heap if you don't already have one, and
continue spreading 6 inch of compost each year.

This will be more effective than trying to improve the soil by a once-
off digging in of compost and sharp sand.

I have a question for those that say to surface spread the compost. How do
you keep it in place, the birds here spread it all over the place ?

You don't. You have to put it back on the soil from time to time. The
birds are after all the worms that the new material encourages.

Same happens with bark chippings on the borders too. Nothing that a
grass rake or rough broom won't quickly sort out though.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 12:13:39 +0100, Kay
wrote:

In article , H Ryder
writes
My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms. Have decided to try double
digging the borders. Is this a good idea?

Probably not. The clay you have at the surface is as nothing to the clay
you'll have two spits down.

What should I dig in - I've got
some sharp sand and compost. Will this do - I can't really afford grit .
Would appreciate any advice

Also what is the best technique for actually breaking up the great, hard
lumps.

A pickaxe.

Hitting them with a spade just seems to make them harder! TIA,


Spread a 6 inch deep layer of compost over your borders. Worm activity
will incorporate the compost into the soil (they're fast breeders, and
even though you don't have many to start with, you soon will once you
start spreading compost).

Meanwhile start a compost heap if you don't already have one, and
continue spreading 6 inch of compost each year.

This will be more effective than trying to improve the soil by a once-
off digging in of compost and sharp sand.

I have a clay soil and found double digging to help greatly. You're
right that two spits down it really is quite disgustingly pure clay.
But as long as you don't mix the top soil, such as you have, and sub
soil then it will greatly improve drainage. Easier that pure double
digging is to single dig but while each row is dug out then use a fork
to loosen the soil at two spits depth and then return the top soil.

The biggest benefit however is just to add 'organic matter' in
quantity. You should be adding a layer of horse or farmyard manure
over the top. Although you say you have hardly any worms they will
soon arrive and breed and do mst of the work for you but you can give
everything a head start by single or double digging first. Manure is
cheaper than bought compost (but don't expect your OH to thank you if
you use her car to fetch it) but cheapest is to start your own compost
heap.

Digging before winter and leaving it exposed to frost will help to
break it up.

Gypsum is cheaper than proprietary clay breaker compounds and does the
same thing.

Any other suggestions

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
Hazel wrote:

writes

My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms.

Spread a 6 inch deep layer of compost over your borders. Worm activity
will incorporate the compost into the soil (they're fast breeders, and
even though you don't have many to start with, you soon will once you
start spreading compost).

Meanwhile start a compost heap if you don't already have one, and
continue spreading 6 inch of compost each year.

This will be more effective than trying to improve the soil by a once-
off digging in of compost and sharp sand.

I have a question for those that say to surface spread the compost. How
do you keep it in place, the birds here spread it all over the place ?

You don't. You have to put it back on the soil from time to time. The
birds are after all the worms that the new material encourages.

Same happens with bark chippings on the borders too. Nothing that a grass
rake or rough broom

Hey, I'm not witch Hazel

won't quickly sort out though.

Regards,
Martin Brown

"JB" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 12:13:39 +0100, Kay
wrote:

In article , H Ryder
writes
My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms. Have decided to try
double
digging the borders. Is this a good idea?

Probably not. The clay you have at the surface is as nothing to the clay
you'll have two spits down.

What should I dig in - I've got
some sharp sand and compost. Will this do - I can't really afford grit
.
Would appreciate any advice

Also what is the best technique for actually breaking up the great, hard
lumps.

A pickaxe.

Hitting them with a spade just seems to make them harder! TIA,


Spread a 6 inch deep layer of compost over your borders. Worm activity
will incorporate the compost into the soil (they're fast breeders, and
even though you don't have many to start with, you soon will once you
start spreading compost).

Meanwhile start a compost heap if you don't already have one, and
continue spreading 6 inch of compost each year.

This will be more effective than trying to improve the soil by a once-
off digging in of compost and sharp sand.

I have a clay soil and found double digging to help greatly. You're
right that two spits down it really is quite disgustingly pure clay.
But as long as you don't mix the top soil, such as you have, and sub
soil then it will greatly improve drainage. Easier that pure double
digging is to single dig but while each row is dug out then use a fork
to loosen the soil at two spits depth and then return the top soil.

The biggest benefit however is just to add 'organic matter' in
quantity. You should be adding a layer of horse or farmyard manure
over the top. Although you say you have hardly any worms they will
soon arrive and breed and do mst of the work for you but you can give
everything a head start by single or double digging first. Manure is
cheaper than bought compost (but don't expect your OH to thank you if
you use her car to fetch it) but cheapest is to start your own compost
heap.

Digging before winter and leaving it exposed to frost will help to
break it up.

Gypsum is cheaper than proprietary clay breaker compounds and does the
same thing.

Any other suggestions

A lot of good ideas have been mentioned already. Allegedly lime at 1lb/sq.yd
will help break up the clay, probably best scattered on in autumn. Gypsum
apparently does the same job without raising the alkalinity of the soil.
As to breaking up lumps I found that, as another poster mentioned, the
weather has
to be right: too wet and it sticks together like s**t, too dry and the lumps
are like iron.
If you can't wait for the frost to break it down, I found that a rapid
up-and-down slicing
movement with a spade is more efective than whacking lumps with the back of
the
spade.
Otherwise lots and lots of organic matter. Apparently horticultural grit
needs to be
applied in rather large quantities to have any real effect, if you were
thinking of going
that route.

Andy.

In article , Hazel
writes

I have a question for those that say to surface spread the compost. How do
you keep it in place, the birds here spread it all over the place ?

My compost must be heavier and moister than yours!

They spread bark, but not compost to any extent.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"H Ryder" wrote
My soil is compacted clay, with hardly any worms. Have decided to try
double
digging the borders. Is this a good idea? What should I dig in - I've got
some sharp sand and compost. Will this do - I can't really afford grit .
Would appreciate any advice

Also what is the best technique for actually breaking up the great, hard
lumps. Hitting them with a spade just seems to make them harder! TIA,
Hayley

We garden on Thames silt/clay and I understand your problem exactly. I once
earthed up my spuds by building a dry stone wall with the lumps! ( I can
:-) now but I didn't at the time)
Yes, try to dig it if only to get some air into the soil and incorporate
your compost/sand. The worms will come idc once there is some air and food
in the soil. I use a fork to break up the lumps but it is best to wait until
the soil is easier to till. It needs to be damp but not wet, dry and it's
impossible, it's a case of catching it at the right time.
Gypsum (from builders merchants) spread on the soil after you have dug your
best will break up clay for a number of years, enough time for you to get
lots of organic material (and sand) incorporated. Lime also works to make
the soil friable but only for a short while, a season at best.
You need to try to keep off the soil once dug so as not to compact it again.
raised beds are a good idea, or at least beds so you can garden on from the
paths.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Took all the replys out but agree with the horse manure/compost.

All I would add is if you have a sawmill or roof truss manufacturers
near you, try and get a few bags of sawdust (generally we pay to get rid
of it) and slap that on top of the ground, water well with a nitrogen
based liquid fertiliser (sawdust robs nitrogen whilst it decays) then
put the manure/compost on top of that. Then when it is looking pretty
much gone, roundabout march, do some spring digging and put the same on
again.

It`ll soon pickup if you get some organic matter in it. Clay is a devil
to deal with unless you have tons of grit to put in it all you`ll have
is clay, organic material is always the way to go in a garden situation.

Loads of organic bulky material on the top will help a lot.

On a practical level how do you cope with applying manure to a border with a
bark chip mulch. If you want to manure and mulch every year, does this rule
out bark chips.

Peter S

In article , peterlsutton
writes
Loads of organic bulky material on the top will help a lot.

On a practical level how do you cope with applying manure to a border with a
bark chip mulch. If you want to manure and mulch every year, does this rule
out bark chips.

Why do you want the bark chips? If you're using the manure as mulch is
there any point in adding bark too? If the bark is for decoration, then
you'd re-apply on top. Bark doesn't last more than a couple of years
before breaking down, anyway, at least it doesn't in this garden. Might
last longer in a drier one.

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"