[sazzy123]

what grows well in clay like soil and what wont?  Should i add anything to it?  I have been digging part of my patch in the garden there is alot of clay.   I am currently growing lettuce and leeks which seem ok and also my beets did well, would like to know for next year....Thanks

[Robin Redbreast]

according to form clay soil will do better with some manure dug in as it will improve drainage and give you more scope to grow pretty much what ya want! but i am a beginner so maybe some better answers coming soon!

[Bernard]

Almost everything will grow in clay and I wish I had clay soil again. It might be difficult to work but it is worth the effort. It retains all the nutrients that are added to it and so is very fertile.

[richyrich7]

Like Bernard says very rich in nutrients so it's a blessing in disguise    a little lime helps too, but only use it where your brassica's are going by the time you've rotated the plot a few times everything will get a dose.

[vegmandan]

I agree with everything that's been said.

I have a pretty clayey soil and every year add as much organic matter as possible and quite a bit of sharp sand /grit.

If you can rough dig it in late Autumn,add as much well rotted muck as you can get  and let the winter weather break it down you'll have a decent soil.

It's hard to work but if we ever get a dry Summer it's more water retentive than  other soils.

Also contrary to popular beleifs you can grow great carrots in it as long as it's really well broken down.

So I would say you can grow anything in a clay soil if you improve it a bit.

[gobs]

Everything I tried, even those plants they say hate waterlogged clay soil, mine is full of lovely perennial herbs too, for example.

The carrots, hm, you really need to rotavate the hell out of it...

[vegmandan]

The carrots, hm, you really need to rotavate the hell out of it...

Well you can just rotavate the hell out of a 2ft wide row to get it ok for carrots instead of the whole plot I suppose.

That would be a bit easier,I must admit.

[Rampant_Weasel]

i have hard clay soil, but when its dug over in the winter so the frost can get on it, in the spring its like sand....surprising but it works
luckily i have a stable near me to with a huge pile of well rotted strawy muck...yum !