I've searched and have found some helpful answers, but part of the solution still not clear...
I'm in the process of double digging some beds and for the most part the top spit has been really nice soil, but under some of it, the second spit is a really heavy clay type soil. Yesterday there was a bit of puddling on top of the spot I was to start digging but I think that was down to it being hard packed from me walking all over it while digging and backfilling the next bed along. A poke with a fork and all the water drained off very quickly.
I'm using the Square Foot Gardening system so will have all sorts growing above it, but I wonder is it worth trying to improve that bottom spit at all or just throw the good soil back on top and get on with it?
I've got about 6 bags of leaves from last autumn (probably not rotted down a whole lot yet) which could go in, and I've got access to a massive pile of wood chips (though going by the smell I think they are pine and I'm sure someone on here told me that stuff isn't the best - too acid maybe? - that was in relation to composting though so I don't know if it comes into it with my main beds) and that's about it. I'm on a pretty tight budget so anything that needs buying in would need to be very cheap.
So - any suggestions?
Just get on with the growing or do something with this bottom spit before I backfill on top of it?
I'm in the process of double digging some beds and for the most part the top spit has been really nice soil, but under some of it, the second spit is a really heavy clay type soil. Yesterday there was a bit of puddling on top of the spot I was to start digging but I think that was down to it being hard packed from me walking all over it while digging and backfilling the next bed along. A poke with a fork and all the water drained off very quickly.
I'm using the Square Foot Gardening system so will have all sorts growing above it, but I wonder is it worth trying to improve that bottom spit at all or just throw the good soil back on top and get on with it?
I've got about 6 bags of leaves from last autumn (probably not rotted down a whole lot yet) which could go in, and I've got access to a massive pile of wood chips (though going by the smell I think they are pine and I'm sure someone on here told me that stuff isn't the best - too acid maybe? - that was in relation to composting though so I don't know if it comes into it with my main beds) and that's about it. I'm on a pretty tight budget so anything that needs buying in would need to be very cheap.
So - any suggestions?
Just get on with the growing or do something with this bottom spit before I backfill on top of it?
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