Clay Soil..

[syanide]

Hello. I'm new to growing and got my allotment a few weeks back. It's been rotavated, but that was about 6 weeks before I got it, so some weeds are starting to show (god knows what they are, but when i dig the ground, the roots are very white and 'crunchy').

Anyway, I've decided to do it slowly and have started to cover one end of the allotment up and have started to dig the other end. I've already got some 2nd earlies and some main crops ready chitted to plant (bought about 2 weeks ago) and really wanted to get them down asap.

However, I'm a little confused. I'm digging the ground up, but it's very 'clay-ey'. In the wet its nice and easy to dig up and turn over, but a bit of a pain to get the weeds out of the clunks (ps - I take it it's not a good idea to just chop up the roots with the fork??) when it's wet....and in the first day it was dry in over 2 weeks, the bits that I have turned over are rock hard.

I know over time, this will imrove, but for now, should I just continue as I am or is there something else I can do?

And finally, I've got some very large bits of cardboard (as we've just moved in) and was planing on using that to cover the 'not going to get round to you in a hurry' end. Do i just lay it down and weigh it down, or is there some etiquette? The cheap plastic I've already started with is very thin and am not sure I will buy any more of that (£2.99 from sainsburys).

Help and advice greatly appreciated...

Sy

[Mikey]

Hi Sy,

Are you sure you're not digging my plot??

The weed you are referring to does it have a mass of white strand type roots, which snap easily between the fingers, and does the leaf above ground look like a green spade from a deck of cards? If so, you have bindweed, a very aggressive weed that can grow again from the tinniest bit of root. Action - dig as much of it out as you can, taking care to tease it away from the claggy soil. When it does come back and it will, keep it in check and keep pulling the new growth off, this way it can't get a hold of your veg which it likes to strangle.

Best plan of action when digging, is dig a small area over and break up with the spade, then the following night turn it with a fork and break the clumps a bit more, give it a couple more evening and break the smaller clumps up with a rake, when you rake flat. If you leave this type of soil too long in the sun in dries very quickly and bakes hard. If you don't fancy re-digging the areas already dug, water it and fork it over the following night when its a bit easier.

The cardboard will be fine, but chop down the weeds close to the ground and overlap the edges to keep the light out. I luckily found two very heavy gauge sheets of plastic on our plot. Have you thought about asking some of your fellow lotties if they have any plastic they could lend you. Most are very helpful.

[ClayGarden]

you need loads of organic matter adding to it. check out the other thread here about 'clay soil in spring'.

[syanide]

That sounds like the stuff. The thing is, whenever i try to 'tease' it away from the soil, it snaps in my hand (mainly due to the amount of rain we've had - making the soil very wet and clayyeee). I'm assuming persistence is the answer. I was just desperate to get some spuds in which I'm determined to do this week, although I've still got half of the section that I'm planning planting in to dig.

As for the cardboard, I'm going to put that down in the next 'section' and pant some Pumpkins, courgettes and some sweetcorn through suitable holes. This, I am told, will allow me to 'forget' that section as far as digging is concerned and still get some things down to grow.

When you say 'get some organic matter down', can you exaplin what you mean (as if I'm a 2 year old) please. FYI, I do not have any compost (apart from a bag at home for re-potting) and no manure....actually, I only have a fork. I didn't want to go out and start colleting a whole load of things I would not be using immediately....so If I need some things, please advise!

Ta


Syanide.

[Matt.]

I have clay soil and do all my digging with a fork. Using a spade puns the risk of cutting the roots leaving small pieces. A fork tends to keep the whole. I turn the soil but break it up into smaller pieces using the back or side of the fork. Later on rake it to get a fine(r) tilth. Also accept now that it will be far from perfect As others have said add organic matter when available but the key thing is to not walk on areas to be planted.

Last year was my first and I had a traditional layout. It worked ok but walking between the rows really compacted the soil. When weeds came through they would snap resulting in a new stronger weed a few weeks later. This year I've gone for raised beds without the raised aspect. Basically 5' wide beds with paths between. This has kept my soil light without the compaction and for me is definitely the way forward.

[Capsid]

Organic matter is composted plant remains. Sounds like you need to start a compost bin in which you chuck all of your unwanted leafy stuff from the lotty and kitchen waste. When that has rotted down into a black friable consistency (about 3-6 months) then you dig it in to the soil and it will help break up the clay.

Perhaps your allotment site has a delivery of manure, if so grab as much as you can!

[syanide]

Noted...manure is on the list as is a compost bin of some sort. I read somewher though that the weeds that are giving me trouble are not good for the compost heap. Is that correct? Or is ti ok as long as I cover it up and don't let any light in?

Sy

[Mikey]

Noted...manure is on the list as is a compost bin of some sort. I read somewher though that the weeds that are giving me trouble are not good for the compost heap. Is that correct? Or is ti ok as long as I cover it up and don't let any light in?

Sy

Don't put the bindweed anywhere near your compost, bag it and bin it. Its that much of a pest, composting won't kill it!!

[ClayGarden]

put it in your green house hold bin for collection

[Sue]

Hi
I read somewhere that you can drown couch grass roots and bindweed roots in the waterbutt. So when I get "nice" clean ones - in they go. Can't do any harm, if it doesn't work I'll fish them out at the end of the summer and if they do rot then it's supposed to provide nutrients for the plants when you water.
Sue

[Sally]

Clay soil can be hell. My soil is ex agricultural and very bad, I've managed to bring it round slowly adding topsoil and lots of horse manure!