Clay soil help!

[OverWyreGrower]

After a (very experimental) first growing season, we've realised we have quite heavy, clumpy soil.

It's quite clay-like, although crumbles with a bit of pressure in your hand. About 1.5 feet down is sand (as we're on the coast)

What can we add to the soil to make it less clay-like/clumpy? Is their any point?

Thanks

OWG

[Flummery]

Muck. Then some more!

[pigletwillie]

And then add as much home made compost as you can, and then do it again, it does come good.

[OverWyreGrower]

Oh good! Lucky I have about half a ton of (free) well rotted manure on its way then

[The Reverend]

If it is course sand that is below and you are feeling extremly fit you could deep dig and mix some of the subsoil with the topsoil.
Any type of organic matter also helps enormously, as it opens up the soil structure.

And yes there is a lot gained by making the soil more friable, it's easier for the roots to run through, it helps to hold more moisture in dry weather and helps to make it more free draining in wet weather, i know this does seem to contradict itself but it does work.

[Madasafish]

Do NOT dig... you reduce the effect of compost. Just add to the surface before winter and the worms will dig it in.
If you must dig, only turn the surface with a fork.

Digging in clayey soil increases the volume of clay to be affected. You want a nice tilth in the top 5cms of soil. 20cms down you don't care...

(After 25 years, my vegetable garden has a 10cm tilth on top. Dig down 20cms and it's nearly 50% clay. Dig down 50cm and it's more clayey .Dig down 100cm and you get coal... )

I have not dug - except holes for planting for 20 years)

[terrier]

If you live close to the sea then hopefully, you will have access to seaweed. Lots of that in your garden will work wonders your soil. At my last garden, I had access to endless amounts of fallen leaves in the autumn, they worked like magic conditioning a very heavy clay soil.

[Nicos]

Free hops from a local brewery+++
Also sand and compost and any free used mushroom compost will alter the texture and feed the soil...we had 3 plots for about 10 years and although a bit cold in the spring, and a bit dry/claggy depending on the rainfall, it produced wonderful crops!

[Snadger]

Gypsum releases nutrients and improves soil structure on clay soils. I have never gardened on clay soil so don't know of any suppliers but this site may be of interest!

http://www.rootwise.co.uk/gsc/rootwi...B?OpenDocument

[vegnut]

4 inches of farmyard poo spread on top. Then let the worms do their thing over winter. Then repeat and so on.

[NOG]

The Victorian gardenrs used to aim on increasing the topsoil by 1" a year. BUT they had head Gardeners, Gardeners, Journeymen Gardeners, UnderGardeners and boys working all year. So I would aim on getting 1/2"

On our site where the farmer scraped off the topsoil before he sold it to us some plots have 2" of top over London Clay.....and mean clay. there was a brick works 1/4 mile away and they dug the clay up to make Bricks. Alot of the old boys have fires and then rake out the ash and turn it over . It seams to break up the clay very well.

[OverWyreGrower]

The Victorian gardeners used to aim on increasing the topsoil by 1" a year. BUT they had head Gardeners, Gardeners, Journeymen Gardeners, UnderGardeners and boys working all year. So I would aim on getting 1/2"

Hhmm, well, since I am (obviously) Head Gardener, and my OH is Lawn Supervisor and a Gardener, I clearly need more staff!

Wonder if I can get a couple of "boys" to come and work on my garden?