casey58317
Just Arrived
Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Location: Franklin, IN USA
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:01 pm Post subject: planting tomatoes in hard clay soil--help preparing soil |
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We have hard clay soil. It is hard to make anything grow well. I have planted tomatoes two years and one year they grew okay, but did not grow tomatoes the other year. I plan on planting tomatoes and maybe some other vegetables next year. Is there anything that I can do to the soil to make it less hard so that tomatoes and other vegetables will grow? Any help will be appreciated.
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aprilconnett
On The Way Up
Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Location: Winston_Salem, NC
Posts: 161
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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add compost.
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willows3_us
Just Arrived
Joined: 27 Sep 2007
Location: London, Ontario, Canada (Map)
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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We have had clay in 4 of the last 5 houses and there is no easy solution. Every year, I added bags of peat moss, gypsum powder and compost. Eventually I did raised gardens so that I could add topsoil. A handful of Epsom salts in the earth around the tomato helps them too.
Catherine
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trudy
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 14 Jan 2008
Location: South Georgia, left at nowhere (Map)
Posts: 276
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| Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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add gypsum (sp) which is suppose to loosen clay soil,http://www.humeseeds.com/gypsum.htm
a good article on this.
You could also do raised bed an just add good soil/compost.
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pharmerphil
Just Arrived
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: Southern Minnesota
Posts: 36
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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compost, already mentioned, leaves, aged manure, deep dig or double dig your area to be planted.
gypsum will help, but it will also raise the soil Ph, so use that in conjunction with composted materials,and work all in well
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crazy1
On The Way Up
Joined: 14 Jan 2008
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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I've had success with tilling in chopped straw and small (1/2 -3/4") wood chips. About a 25% straw/chips to 75% clay. Helps to lighten up the ground. Composts as the year goes. But adding any/everything mentioned above is also a great idea.
And if using leaves or wood chips remember, Black Walnut leaves are poison to garden plants. Not to all plants but if the level of juglone (the tree produces this) in the ground is high, most plants will die or at least not produce well.
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Growing to save the past for the future.
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bsewnsew
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
Location: Rural Western Pennsylvania
Posts: 1191
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:36 am Post subject: |
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i agree with all above........
Clay is no fun on the farm.......Rotted manure works wonders on clay or anything else.....
My flowers favorites as well as the veggies.
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