A newbie - please help my soil

[Magsthepie]

Hi everyone, please help. I am new to vegetable growing and am trying to start a vegetable patch in my new house.
I was told to sieve my clay soil to take out all the stones which I have done, but now it has rained it is like quicksand, but soil. Is this normal? Is it ok for the plants? Can I fix it?

Thanks for your help

[lynda66]

my soil is full of rocks and clay too, i've been adding home made compost for the last 3 years, and it's now looking much more like soil, i compost everything, including hedge trimmings, ...... also if you can get well rotted manure, that will help, to break up the clay when you dig it in.

this year is my first year growing anything in the beds, i dug over the whole bed, and added some shop bought compost to the top, planted my seeds, in that, then covered them in compost, and they are germinating now, the flower bed at the front where i didn't plant into compost, the seeds aren't germinating anywhere near as well, and it hasn't got anywhere near the same amount of organic matter in it, the surface goes quite hard, and the seeds seem to find it hard to break through when it dries.

just keep adding texture to it, and eventually it will be ok ......... if you've got the money get some decent top soil, and it will save lots of hard work if not organic matter is the way forward.

Lynda xx

[Tam]

Certainly add as much compost as you can and mulch with anything the worms can use, including cardboard and if you can get a hold of sharp sand chuck that on as well. Clay soil is murder at first, but if you work at improving the texture you'll be rewarded by finding most jobs - for instance hand weeding - much easier.

[New_Bud]

I don't know how to help your soil but germinating your seeds indoors can help your plants. I don't know if you know this allready but you said you're new so...

If you germinate seeds indoors e.g seeds in optimum conditons in peat pots then once they've germinated replant them in your soil this will mean they have a better chance of survival. On Sunday 15th I planted 8 pea seeds outdoors in a pot. On the monday I planted a pea seed indoors in an old pot noodle pot. The pot noodle pea broke soil two says before the ones outdoors, and even then only two had broken soil so it just shows it does make a difference.

[terrier]

Hi Magsthepie, welcome to the forum. Go round all your neighbours and offer to take their garden waste off their hands. Also offer to take their old newspapers as well. If you've got a riding stables nearby, some equipoo works wonders. Mix it all up well and let it start to rot down in a wet heap, cover with whatever you've got to keep it warm. At the end of autumn, spread it over the top of your patch and leave for the winter. Next spring, start planting.

[Two_Sheds]

while you're waiting for the manure to rot down, sow your plot with a green manure. There are loads of old posts on this, have a go with your Search button for advice. Personally, I like Limnanthes the best (poached egg plant).
By keeping the soil covered with plants, you will stop most of the weed seeds from taking up residence.

[Paulottie]

I don't know how you can call anyone who told you should to sieve clay soil a friend or how you managed it but plants don't mind a reasonable amount of stones and they help with the drainage on clay. This quicksand thing...obviously no drainage then....sounds like you have formed a sump in the land.

In short you double dig (ie break up the bottom spit and then add the stones you sieved out and a load of gravel and muck) Then add loads of organic matter to the top spit as you replace it.....damn hard work but laess backbreaking than screening soil!

[Magsthepie]

Thanks everyone for all your replies. I am so happy to hear that I don't need to take all the stones out, it has been back breaking and slow work! I'll get a move on in making compost etc and roll on nice soil and delicious vegetables.

Magsthepie

[lynda66]

do it a bit at a time, get a big bag of cheap compost and dig that in as far as it will go .... and at least you'll be able to get something in before it gets late ...... oh and my neighbour told me to put potatoes in to break up the soil ....... dig it well, stick some compost in the hole and add a sprouted potato to each hole (seed potatoes are best, but i have stuck some sprouted shop potatoes in) apparently that should help on the bits you wont get round to doing for ages

[Flummery]

We had horrid clay at our old house. It takes time to get it in better condition - time and lots of organic matter - but when you do, a clay soil holds the nutrients you add. Sandy soil lets them all drain straight out! Clay soil's not all a bad thing.

[moggssue]

Hi magsthepie, and welcome! I grew veg in a plot in my garden last year on a space reclaimed from the lawn at the back of the garden. When I started it was dreadful soil, compacted clay and full of stones. As others have said, I dug it over removing only the biggest of the stones (far too many to get them all out), added compost (shopbought in my case I'm afraid, since I wanted to get growing straight away!) and some topsoil and away I went. The veg loved it and I had a fantastic crop. Okay, so the carrots were odd shapes thanks to the stones in the ground but they still tasted fine.

Just do a little and often, as you can afford it and have the inclination, you'll be growing great veg before you know it!

[zazen999]

Hi
Wow, how much did you sieve?

Being a ex soil engineer I do sieve mine, but only when I am growing carrots or for seed beds [mix with compost and coffee grounds - lovely]. You do need to mix organic in once you have sieved, or you do end up with a mud patch or hard shell. They use clay to line landfill sites, it's well known for it's capacity to to seal moisture in or out.

If you haven't planted anything in it yet, then any of the above suggestions would work - I'd start on a small patch, plant that out and work from there. Cardboard and used coffee grounds are free from supermarkets/coffee houses so you can add granular and organic for no cost at all.

[Skotch]

Probably a bit late for this year, but you can also add leaves once they have fallen in Autumn. If left in a pile, they will break down and make an excellent soil improver. I bank up as much as I can over autumn and winter and then dig in then doing my first dig in Spring. The longer you leave the leaves, the better, but either way, I've found it a great way of lightening heavy soil

HTH

[doozer]

Hi everyone, please help. I am new to vegetable growing and am trying to start a vegetable patch in my new house.

Hi, I'm new to it too but if I were you I'd try and get your veg patch in the garden - rather than in your house

[supergrass]

do it a bit at a time, get a big bag of cheap compost and dig that in as far as it will go .... and at least you'll be able to get something in before it gets late ...... oh and my neighbour told me to put potatoes in to break up the soil ....... dig it well, stick some compost in the hole and add a sprouted potato to each hole (seed potatoes are best, but i have stuck some sprouted shop potatoes in) apparently that should help on the bits you wont get round to doing for ages

Welcome to GYO Mags , Yes spuds do help your ground always a good idea to grow them first like every thing though takes time good luck and happy gardening.

Max.