Starting from scratch with clay

Wobblymoo · « **on:** February 06, 2007, 10:32 »

Hi, I've only been here a few days and have spent hours reading through everything. We moved two years ago to a new build house that has been built on the prison allotments and I quite stupidly got excited at the thought of great soil, unfortunately our plot was where the pond at the end was and if you can actually manage to dig down a foot you reach solid hardcore. I had given up on the idea of my little veg plot in the back but now I've finished the front garden my attention has turned to the back again. (sorry for the long boring introduction) .
So my plans are, to have a heated 8 x 6 greenhouse, to make a raised bed with railway sleepers which will be 8 x 12, to grow a lot in containers, have pototoes chitting away at the moment to go in large plastic bins I already have. To grow herbs in pots. I'm hoping to get onions, peas, broccolli, carrots in the raised bed this year, does that sound reasonable? We have a North facing garden that doesn't get a great deal of light, in fact the 8ft strip that I intend to use gets the most light and that is only for a few hours a day, we have one spot that sees no sun at all and is currently a bog.
Anyway, my question of the day is, how deep should the raised bed be, bearing in mind the possibility of growing some larger root veg at some point in the future.
Denise

fluffypebble · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2007, 10:39 »

I have no idea but the others on here will. Just wanted to say welcome to the site.

muntjac · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2007, 11:43 »

if you go 18 inches deep it wil be fine and you dont bend down so far

beansticks · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2007, 13:09 »

Welcome Wobblymoo,my raised beds are between 15 to 18 inches deep.

Wobblymoo · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2007, 13:34 »

Thanks for the replies

Denise

shaun · « **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2007, 20:01 »

these house builders want to get there act together with the gardens/soil,basically they level whatever is there (bricks,hardcore,roof,tiles,clay etc)and scatter a bit of top soil ontop and turf it,its called bish bash bosh :evil:

Wobblymoo · « **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2007, 07:53 »

Shaun, the stupid thing is there was nothing here apart from several large greenhouses and a pond, they had to bring in the hardcore from elsewhere I understand. It might have been easier if hubby hadn't put his shed on the best bit of the garden too

Denise

shaun · « **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2007, 18:52 »

they probably dug the decent top soil off and sold it on :evil:
like most building sites with all the traffic and work going on the top soil just gets mixed in with everything else and its levelled off

Wobblymoo · « **Reply #8 on:** February 07, 2007, 23:28 »

Well the raised bed has been completed today, just got to try and get hold of some top soil now.
Denise

muntjac · « **Reply #9 on:** February 07, 2007, 23:30 »

call the local parks n gardens council dept they may have soe to get rid of

Wobblymoo · « **Reply #10 on:** February 07, 2007, 23:42 »

Muntjac, I've put a few wanted ads about but not holding out much hope with the groud being so hard at the moment.
Denise

muntjac · « **Reply #11 on:** February 08, 2007, 12:43 »

are they doing any building works on roads or anything near you wobbly ? that may be a spot to try . tried freecycle?

Wobblymoo · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2007, 09:43 »

Yes, stupid me, duh!! And I know the site foreman, will ask him on Monday
Cheers
Denise

WG. · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2007, 13:00 »

For a larger area, another idea would be recruit some help from the plant and animal kingdoms.

Provided you don't have clubroot, I'd suggest removing spade-sized pockets of clay at 2ft spacings. Fill the hole with compost or improved soil, dust with lime and plant a variety of late cabbage with BIG foliage. Meanwhile you can mulch / top dress between the cabbages with compost / old manure / comfrey / sand / gypsum (yes it is organic). The cabbage roots plus the increased worm activity will help to break down the clay. Plus you'll have a crop of cabbages.

Next season you might consider a similar plan with maincrop potatoes, Kerrs Pink is a top favourite variety in this area and carries immense foliage for weed suppression. In this case the "pockets" are forked up with fresh compost rather than dug out, plant the seed potato just a few inches deep and then draw in some old mulch to create a wee mound. Earth up the potatoes as they emerge in the usual way. The hard work here is in the harvesting but it is somehow easier when you are gaining something to eat. You can also add fresh mulch between the drills (including gypsum but no lime on potatoes!).

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Starting from scratch with clay

beansticks

WG.