plot of clay

how is the way to break up clay have dug and put mushroom compost in any more i can do before i break my back

cheers gth

Hard work    keep adding as much organic matter as possible add grit if you can afford to, rough dig Oct time and let jack frost do his work add more manure, and you can lime, (but don't lime the manure), this will help make the small particles of clay stick together and create better soil.

Clay is hard work but it is generally the most fertile of soils holding lots of trace minerals etc.

Clay is great for veg, but as said before very hard woek. It may take a few seasons but its worth it , you'll win.

We grow on clay soil and have found that if trenches a spade or preferably two deep are dug in autumn and any greenstuff (other than woody twigs and the like) are put in plus torn newspaper and card, veg peelings,grass cuttings ,layered then covered with soil there is improvement in drainage.

Also once the soil is prepared, covering it with black plastic protects it from the drying effect of winds and this helps to stop a hard crust developing, as often happens with rain followed by sunon clay soil.

We have also sown green manure plants overwinter to protect the soil from hard capping.

Hi

I have the same problem - we bought loads of manure but it was really slow to rot down so can't put it down yet.

In the meantime we have dug and mattocked the larger particles of soil six times now, added sand, and added some lime (as hoping to put cabbages in) and it is miles better.

best of luck
Vicky

Calcium sulphate : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

thanks wg will be going out to source some

cheers gth