If your ground is almost entirely comprised of (rock and) red clay mud, would it help to get a couple bales of straw and mix it in? Or would I just end up with building material, lol?
Red Clay: Add Straw?
- Thread starter TorturedSoul
- Start date
The Celt
Well-Known Member
@TorturedSoul, you can do that but it is going to take ages to use. Straw is mostly cellulose and breaks down very slowly, although it is good for attracting earth worms.
If you want to make clay soils more ”plant friendly” mix in alfalfa and ground sunflower seeds. They will break down in a month or so and not only ”loosen” the soil, but also supply lots of NPK for your plants. Peat moss will also help loosen soils but like straw, has very little nutrient value.
If you want to make clay soils more ”plant friendly” mix in alfalfa and ground sunflower seeds. They will break down in a month or so and not only ”loosen” the soil, but also supply lots of NPK for your plants. Peat moss will also help loosen soils but like straw, has very little nutrient value.
- Thread starter
- #4
Can I borrow a backhoe and a cubic yard of soil? I was thinking that, if the guy that delivers straw to the stores around here is in the same fine form he was in last year, some of them will be covered in cow piss (he doesn't clean the truck after cattle runs), some of them will be broken (he's not all that particular)... and that, if no one buys the portion that happen to be both of those things, I might get a couple bales for a dollar. My budget isn't likely to stretch much past that.
- Thread starter
- #5
I wasn't thinking in terms of enriching the soil, merely hoping that it might somehow keep the crap from turning back into (figuratively) the universe's densest substance the moment I stop hacking away at it with a shovel and mattock like it always does. Thought maybe it'd allow the plants an easier time of things, and me to harvest more than a salad. This time.
I don't have any of that, but I'll try to remember it for future years.
Hey, there's part of a small bag of that in Mom's basement, if she hasn't used it for stretching her houseplant soil. I told her that we should try to get a bag of soil to mix into her little garden area against her house, thinking that it's about played out since she grows in it every year, and grows the same thing, every year. Next thing I knew, she called me to say that a nice person at one of the stores told her if she bought a bag of soil, he'd throw it in her car for her, and that all I had to do was go unload it. When I got there, I discovered that the "soil" was either peat or spaghum moss (can't remember which). I had decided years ago that I didn't like that stuff very much, but I can't remember (the reason for) that, either. But if it'll lighten the soil, I'll see if I can get a couple gallons of it and throw a cup or two into each plant hole.
The Celt
Well-Known Member
If you are just looking to lighten/loosen the soil, then peat is your best and cheapest bet.
Typical bale of peat is 3 cuft, around here costs under $5, and if you used it at a 50/50 ratio (peat to clay) it will make you 12 cubic feet (90 gallons, 340 L) of soil.
Typical bale of peat is 3 cuft, around here costs under $5, and if you used it at a 50/50 ratio (peat to clay) it will make you 12 cubic feet (90 gallons, 340 L) of soil.
Peat and play sand help a lot. I have dense black clay. I live on marsh land.
You could also just use all your leaves ,grass clipping & organic waste
Get your neighbors to save there yard waste also
Start a compost pile or just rototill into the ground
Every year I make about 30-40 bags of potting soil using peat moss, compost, clay soil & perlite
Get your neighbors to save there yard waste also
Start a compost pile or just rototill into the ground
Every year I make about 30-40 bags of potting soil using peat moss, compost, clay soil & perlite
Bush Doctor 77
Well-Known Member
Peat, peat and more peat. You may need some dolomite and gypsum to to counteract the acidic peat. I would remove the top 8 inches in a 4 foot circle, put it aside. Put a few inches of peat/dolomite/gypsum in the hole and turn it in. Put the soil you set aside, add peat/dolomite/ gypsum and fill the hole(use a wheelbarrow and mix with a shovel). I'd apply a balanced dry organic nute in the top 4 inches, and water. I would not add any organic material that hasn't been composted. Green matter will tie up your N as it decomposes.
to answer your q,, yes, it will help. any organic matter added to the dirt will help. this is the problem with clay. drainage. thats it. clay is actually good for a soil mixture,, just not solid clay, or not only clay. perlite too, add some of that if you have some
and the 3 foot hole,, well, that is the problem with clay,, in order to water a plant properly one must water a lot,, and preferably have a place for the excess water to drain away. well,, here is where the clay sucks,, water just wont drain away, fast enuf. so to have two feet of usable soil to grow a plant in, one needs a three foot hole, maybe with some drainrock or similar at the bottom
that is for ultimate,, there are varying degrees of ultimate to work with
cheers t s
and the 3 foot hole,, well, that is the problem with clay,, in order to water a plant properly one must water a lot,, and preferably have a place for the excess water to drain away. well,, here is where the clay sucks,, water just wont drain away, fast enuf. so to have two feet of usable soil to grow a plant in, one needs a three foot hole, maybe with some drainrock or similar at the bottom
that is for ultimate,, there are varying degrees of ultimate to work with
cheers t s
Build a lasagna garden
Bush Doctor 77
Well-Known Member
Oh yea, build a raised bed.
Clay is a layer latticed mineral that holds water between the layers, so it's actually good in soil, but you need other components, too. Clay will hold no air, and that's bad. See if you have any sand by rubbing between your fingers to see if it's gritty. You may want to add some if you don't have any. You're trying to go from clay to a clayey loam.
Clay is a layer latticed mineral that holds water between the layers, so it's actually good in soil, but you need other components, too. Clay will hold no air, and that's bad. See if you have any sand by rubbing between your fingers to see if it's gritty. You may want to add some if you don't have any. You're trying to go from clay to a clayey loam.
Bob Loblaw
Well-Known Member
This probably won't help but it is useful info. An old organic farmer told me if you want to loosen your soil up one of the the best things you can do is seed Red Clover & work it into the soil when it is mature. We have done this on a very large scale with good results. We darn near sold that Red clover though, beware your wife may send you out to pick some flowers for her as they have some medicinal value.
One of these days I gotta get me some Red Clover seed for my garden.
One of these days I gotta get me some Red Clover seed for my garden.
The Celt
Well-Known Member
@Bob Loblaw , good info and something I never thought of, often referred to as green manure.
Has 2 benefits, loosening soil due to organic matter and 2, clovers are nitrogen fixers, so they take in nitrogen from the air and ‘fix’ it in their roots. When tilled in, becomes N available for your plants.
Nice recommendation Bob
Has 2 benefits, loosening soil due to organic matter and 2, clovers are nitrogen fixers, so they take in nitrogen from the air and ‘fix’ it in their roots. When tilled in, becomes N available for your plants.
Nice recommendation Bob
Bob Loblaw
Well-Known Member
You're welcome, but I'll have to thank Don for that one and many others. What a pleasure it was to work with that man. I was working for his son but him & I got along great. He had so many stories to tell like when a neighbor & him imported the first Charolais into Canada. He had really close connections to the University of Sask.
What I remember about nitrogen is Alfalfa adds 70lbs/acre and Yellow Clover 90lbs/acre of course I may have that backwards (that was about 20lbs of smoke ago lol) but both are close. He did tell me specifically though about the Red Clover ability to loosen up hard soil.
One last note, you want to work it in when it's at it's peak into flower.
I think I'm within the rules to embed a video of myself making green manure out of a volunteer hemp crop. I'm operating with 1 hand & filming with the other so it's pretty shaky.
3:25
What I remember about nitrogen is Alfalfa adds 70lbs/acre and Yellow Clover 90lbs/acre of course I may have that backwards (that was about 20lbs of smoke ago lol) but both are close. He did tell me specifically though about the Red Clover ability to loosen up hard soil.
One last note, you want to work it in when it's at it's peak into flower.
I think I'm within the rules to embed a video of myself making green manure out of a volunteer hemp crop. I'm operating with 1 hand & filming with the other so it's pretty shaky.
3:25
Bush Doctor 77
Well-Known Member
Legumes fix N. They use pinto beans every third year around here.
