hi

[begining at 40]

Hi all I've just joined and I can't wait to get some advice on basically everything allotment. Related. Been looking for a forum site for ages. Would love some advice on the best way way to tackle a overgrown clay soiled patch. We have a lot of raised beds and have managed. To dig a few. I have very kindly been given sprouts, beetroot and broad beans that are in and I'm praying with grow as the soil seems very poor.

[veggiechicken]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
The best advice I can give you is to pull up a chair, make yourself comfy, and have a good read through some of the threads.
In the morning, when there are more people around, I'm sure someone will answer your questions

Night Night!!

[Bigmallly]

Hello & welcome to the vine. They do say that clay soil holds a lot of nutrients so would be careful before discarding it altogether.

[Bal]

Hi and welcome. There is a wealth of knowledge here and more importantly some fantastic people willing to share it. Wait till tomorrow and you will get all the help you need (me I'm a novice too so not much advice to give)

[Guest]

Hi and welcome

[Lumpy]

Hello B4 - its good you have joined are happy, frustrated, knowledgeable, nutty band of growers and try to growers (thats me).

Sorry I don't know anything about clay soils and have the complete opposite of a sandy one but (and I really hope I have this right) I know that by adding compost, horse poo, better top soil in and then digging it all in together you would get a better mix.

Like the others have said above somebody will come on here who knows exactly what they are talking about and give you some advice.

[Knight of Albion]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

[skeggijon]

Hi B40 and welcome to the vine. I've also got heavy clay soil and found the best way to deal with it was by building raised beds and using lots of farmyard manure, then adding topsoil offered by people doing building work.

[PyreneesPlot]

Hello and welcome from an enthusiastic clay soil grower

Yes it is slow to warm up in the spring and fluctuates between bog and concrete and mine comes in a lovely choice of cat sick yellow and a rather cool blue. But with lots of organic matter it can be lovely stuff.
Do not walk on it if at all possible, especially when it is wet, so raised beds are a great idea. I have lazy beds - dug twice in 2010 and then covered with plastic until needed. Now just dug to get the mole runs out. You could cover your weedy beds with plastic or coardboard or both to help kill off the weeds.
I add compost, horse manure, grass clippings, green manure to the top surface and plant through. I try to never leave bare soil.

the first dig in February 2010 removing rocks, boulders and weed roots.

broadly the same area May this year.

Good luck and enjoy your plot

[muddled]

Hello and welcome!

I was about to write a long post about how I cultivate my plot on London clay....but PP has described it perfectly...even down to the 'cat sick yellow'

[cariann88]

Hello and welcome

[vixylix]

Hi and welcome! I just use raised beds and so far (I'm a newbie) have found that the soil is doing way better than people growing in the ground (people I know locally that is) - I filled with new shop bought compost last year when they were built, left them over winter to settle and put a couple of bags more compost on top early this year and they're going great guns!

for now make sure you're feeding your plants if they look like they're struggling.

These forums are excellent - and have given me the confidence that everyone is struggling this year - and that everyone always struggles with something!

Just keep going and your confidence will grow and grow (excuse the pun)

[Verinda]

Hello, welcome to the forum

[Martin H]

Hi, welcome!

I'm on clay as well. As others have said:
- have a layout such that you don't have to walk on the veg beds. The soil structure and drainage are bad enough without making things worse by walking.
- After you've dug over the soil and got the weeds out, spread all the organic matter you can. The worms will work it in for you and over time the top layers of the soil will turn into lovely rich, heavy loam. Personally I avoid stable manure (risk of aminopyralid) and stick mostly with home-made compost made from my own vegetable waste and free shredded hedge trimmings.
- There are lots of fans of edged raised beds around but personally I just use lazy raised beds. I don't feel that the investment in wood and topsoil or compost is worth it. But as long as you stick with the principles of avoiding compaction and spreading organic stuff you'll be fine either way.

My own plot was an overgrown jungle but I just took it on a patch at a time and got growing in the cleared bits as soon as I could. I'm in my third season now and have pretty much all of it under some control, even though the jungle tries to creep back in...

Anyway, good luck and enjoy the process!

[noviceveggrower]

Hi there and welcome to Vine