[Martin]

I terraced my plot, and where i dug deepest I hit the subsoil which is nasty yellow clay with many stones in it . Needs a pickaxe to work it, can't even get a spade in it because of the stones. I'll plan to work at it over several years, but also I have some topsoil put aside that will give me 6 inches or so on top of the clay.
Can you recommend any crop to grow that might help to improve this soil? Or should I just plan to grow in this top 6 inches of topsoil? If so, what do you recommend?
Thanks

[John]

Hi Martin
I've got solid, sucking clay beneath the topsoil.

You can construct deep beds, which gives you greater depth of topsoil or concentrate on improving generally. Don't mix the clay up with the topsoil. Dig a trench to the clay, break it up a bit (even six inches is hard work) then put a layer of organic matter rich compost or manure before turning the soil from the next trench onto it.

The worms will do the work for you, mixing compost and clay and turning it into good soil. Another trick to lighten soil is to add a load of gritty sand. Clay is actually very fine particles so the sand, which is bigger particles, really helps.

Don't forget lime -  raising the pH will really help with clay.

Clay soil is the hardest to work initially but very good for growing if you keep working it. After 3 years I have 18" to two feet of topsoil over the clay. Drainage is now good and it's productive.

Mustard makes a great green manure (yet more work, sorry) and beans make lots of green material to turn into compost.

Just one tip - horse manure is much better than cow as it's less wet for clay soils. But cow is better than nothing.

Persevere and you'll have a great plot and an aching back

[easole]

I have just found this site and this message - late again. A week ago I dug over part of my new plot and found just these conditions - heavy clay, with stones below 3-4 inches of topsoil. Unfortunately I did turn the whole lot over! To try to help the situation I have spread horse manure over the area, intending to dig this in. Is this a good idea? Is there anything I can plant in it straightaway or should I give it a miss for this season?

[John]

I have just found this site and this message - late again. A week ago I dug over part of my new plot and found just these conditions - heavy clay, with stones below 3-4 inches of topsoil. Unfortunately I did turn the whole lot over! To try to help the situation I have spread horse manure over the area, intending to dig this in. Is this a good idea? Is there anything I can plant in it straightaway or should I give it a miss for this season?

Never say die!
If I was you in that situation I would mix everything up with a rotovator if you can get hold of one., fork if not.  Then try starting things off with some good compost around them.  The really difficult bit of getting anything to grow is always the start.

You can pick up 300ltr bags of compost quite cheaply from places like B&Q or garden centre. A lot of things start better in pots anyway.  I did 100 3" pots of broad beans one year. Takes less time than you think and ensures everything gets going.

Once started the roots will go out and if a few are 'burnt' by manure or hit pure clay, others will go on to feed the plant.