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Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:54 am

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It seems like the last 6 weeks we have been getting rain for 3 days then sunshine for 3,seldom 4 days. With my clay soil it takes at least 3 to 4 days for it to dry up enough to use a shovel so I'm transplanting like crazy before it starts raining again. I did get most of that done but my poor tulips are still waiting to be planted. The newspaper said this has been the wettest summer since the early 60's. It makes me wonder how much snow we are going to get this winter!


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Sjoerd wrote on Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:56 am:

Hello there, 2of.
With such soil as you have there, I wonder if you have tried or begun altering the structure of it with "bulky" compost for instance. I mean compost that still has some stems or not completely composted leafs. another way is to grow green manure, and work it in. In your case you could let it grow and bloom before working it in.

Obviously you may need quite a bit of this, but if you just begin by taking a plot at the time, you'll get there. Iknow how difficult clay ground can be to work with.

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2ofus wrote on Tue Sep 23, 2014 2:39 am:

I have been adding 2 to 3 inches of shredded leaves in the fall and adding 1 to 2 inches of mulch in the spring. As it decomposes I add more. As my ground freezes there isn't any worm activity until the ground thaws in the spring but they really get busy then. The first year we moved here I didn't do much landscaping so I've only been working at this for 2 summers. I'm sure in the next couple of years I'll start to see lots of improvement.

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Sjoerd wrote on Tue Sep 23, 2014 8:52 am:

Wow 2Of--That sounds really good. It is just a question of time then.
Do you ever work the mulch into the clay with a spade or rototiller-like machine?

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2ofus wrote on Tue Sep 23, 2014 1:25 pm:

We(DH)rototills cow manure and shredded leaves in the vegetable garden in the fall and mulches between the rows with fine chipped wood. I put manure and shredded leaves around the flowers and then keep a light cover of mulch on it the rest of the year. I've added so much to my flower gardens I had to lift a lot of the plants as the decomposing mulch etc. is raising the soil level.

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