Clay

[Salina]

What sort of veg would do well in Clay soil? there is a bit of topsoil mixed in.
I was going to try and grow some potatoes and turnips, I could dig over the clay stuff a bit and maybe mix in some shop bought soil and maybe some sand and horse manure as well, if that would improve it.

[Snadger]

Ideal for tatties!

[Salina]

Thanks! another silly question lol, does it matter how deep I plant the potatoes? I kind of thought the deeper they would be planted the more space that they would have for growing. Thanks again!

[ysb33r]

We have a lot of clay and what works for me are:

• Potatoes
• Jerusalem Artichokes
• Beetroot (Even Cheltenham Green Top - they tend to fork in clay, but still produce enough body for pickling).
• Onions (If the soil does not drain, then the overwintering types will suffer).
• Leeks
• Broad beans
• Lettuce
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Marigolds

What did not work (so are grown in pots or raised beds nowadays):

• Carrots
• Chinese Artichokes

Over time the soil tend to get better as compost get worked in. Potatoes seem to break up the soil as well. Guy at the allotment next to me swears by sowing white mustard to help improve the soil.

[Newbie]

I have heavy clay soil too and although this year (oops, last year now!) was my first attempt, my runner beans, sweetcorn, potatoes, outdoor cucumbers & broccolli did very well. I found lettuce, spring onions & swede not to do so well.

[mariner-bob]

Good morning, I have just joined the realms of grapevine, and have read, with interest the columns on clay, I also have clay and read recently that heavy clay can be broken up with the use of "Carlite" plaster, I have searched, unsuccessfully for the article, in whatever paper, magazine, does anybody have any ideas on this form of 'cure' for very sticky soil

[Dane End Dolly]

Hi this is my first post. I too have clay soil and am growing my vegetables in raised beds so I can add loads of compost etc. I have a small plot (in my garden) and too many seeds so I am sowing small amounts of loads of stuff and see how they do. The good thing I have heard about raised beds is that you can grow stuff closer together therefore cramming in more.
I am interested in anything else I can add to my soil other than bags of compost & farmyard manure that can help.

[SarzWix]

Hi Dolly, welcome to the 'Vine
Sounds like you've got the right idea with your soil - I've got clay soil & that's what I'm doing to improve mine. I've been at it for 2 years in the garden & I'm seeing real improvements in the drainage this winter. The lottie is a year behind, but still better than last winter. One thing which has helped in the front garden is getting our pebble-dashing redone - all those little chippings falling down in the borders have done wonders for drainage! So it might be worth investing in some horticultural grit or other small chippings?
Mariner-Bob, do you mean Gypsum? I have heard/read that this is good for clay soil, but never tried it myself? Might be worth Googling for clay/gypsum information?

[Newbie]

Does anyone know if woodchippings would be any good to improve my clay soil? We had a load of trees chopped last year & the guy left us a pile of the shreddings in a corner so that i could use them in the garden, he did say leave them for about 6 months before using them - which brings it to about now. I think they are mainly from Willow trees if that makes a difference.

[bobleponge]

We dont have clay soil, we just have clay. Last year the only things that grew for us were brocoli and haricots vert. Our spuds grew fantastically well above ground, but when we dug them up, we lost about 75% of our crop to some form of rot which absolutely stank.
Things that didnt work. Carrots (but I couldnt bl$%dy grow them in sand so no shock there) swedes, leeks, cabbages and lettuce. I was given 8 strong melon seedlings but they didnt survive due to our slimey slug friends. All munched so badly they died.
This winter I have been busy knocking up raised beds, but as our soil is so pants I am struggling to fill them up with anything suitable for growing.
We do have a mobile manure factory (horse) which provides us with plenty of good fertilizer but it takes its time to rot down enough to be used. The last bed built has been filled to the top with this and I will use it next year (if we dont move).

[bridget mc laughlin]

what did was just add plenty of manure and quater a ton of sand spread evenly.
that worked for me

[Madasafish]

We have lived here with clay soil for over 25 years.
We don't dig much.
Every year we mulch and add small stones.
Lots of peat - not dug in.
Rasps, strawberries all bush fruit = great.
All root crops a disaster: slugs and worms.
Peas and beans great.

So we grow: raps, strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries, blackcurrant, blueberries, apples and pears.
Lettuces, beans and peas.
carrots get carrot fly.

Beetroot grow fine but I'm not very keen. Onions rot.
Sweetcorn OK but weather too variable.

[Hans Mum]

add a thick layer of horse poo in the autumn and let the worms do their magic for this year you can grow most things ysb listed the most popular and then for carrots and leaves try pots or raised beds

[terrier]

I suppose if you've got very heavy clay soil then you wont have many worms to process the organic material lying on top of it, so maybe digging it in is the only way to break it up. Mix in anything that is biodegradable, equipoo, paper,leaves,household waste,cardboard,green matter from the garden and expired shop bought compost. On small areas of clay I've used a cement mixer in the past, one part clay soil, one part course grit,two parts mixed waste. Put a layer of horse manure over the top to stop weeds.

[sez]

We have heavy clay too, like the stuff you make pots out of and does not drain! (3/4 of the garden is liable to standing water... i use the other 1/4). Last year i cleared a pile of rubbish from te previous tenant and turned the weed infested clay into decent soil with a lot of hard work, and lots and lots of compost, with some sharp sand. We don't have a car to collect the stuff or i'd add lots more sand. At the end of the summer all the compost from my potted garden is tipped on as well.