[MrsR]

Hi I am new to growing veg and we recently moved to a new house, I've sorted a veg patch out sort of - dug up the law to find its around 8cms mud and under it clay! (The house is a new build).     As we have had heavy rains its water logged - I was going to get topsoil delivered to cover it but thinking maybe I've made a hug mistake as the patch is on the bottom of a slop - the whole garden is slopping - is it just plain stupid for me to carry on furthe rwith this as a veg patch?

[WG.]

Hi MrsR and welcome to the forum.

Keep an eye on how it drains after the heavy rain.   Identify the last place to drain and mark it as a potential site for a soakaway.

Earth on top of clay is actually the basis of a good plot if drainage is adequate.

What direction is the slope - N S E or W?

[Plot No 2]

Before bringing in the top soil, have a look at the "lay" of the land and see whether you need any additional draining.

We are new build as well and thanks to the neighbour for digging in draining pipes the lawn in not quite such a mud bath as it used to be. Wish the builders would look after the soil a bit better.

[MrsR]

What direction is the slope - N S E or W?

Im going to sound really thick here but can't for the life of me remember how the saying goes but the sun sets at the back of our garden  :oops:

[WG.]

and is that the top or the bottom of the slope?

[MrsR]

and is that the top or the bottom of the slope?

Bottom sorry

[WG.]

Sounds like your garden slopes to the west so it gets most sunshine in the afternoon.  Right?

Not related to your drainage question incidentally but if it sloped to the North then it would be quite a bit cooler & probably not the ideal spot.

[MrsR]

Sounds like your garden slopes to the west so it gets most sunshine in the afternoon.  Right?

Not related to your drainage question incidentally but if it sloped to the North then it would be quite a bit cooler & probably not the ideal spot.

Yes it definately gets most sunshine in the afternoon

[WG.]

Instead of topsoil, you might want to bring in large quantities of manure.  This will have lasting benefit for the soil structure & hence the drainage.

[MrsR]

I have access to this as my friend owns a horse

[WG.]

Hopefully she beds it on straw and not on woodchip or sawdust.  Check to see.

If you can get strawy stuff then look to incorporate as much as possible (even a 6" layer is not too much on new ground).  You won't be able to grow carrot or parsnip for a year or two but then neither do they grow too well in mud / clay.

[MrsR]

Come to think of it its shavings damn

[puravida]

I had exactly the same problem but without the slope - new build house just full of clay and builders rubble basically. The slightest spot of rain and we'd be putting wetsuits on and swimming to the shed.

We put in raised beds, chucked a load of manure from a farm up the road in and then filled them with top soil. I was advised to chuck in some sand and maybe compost too but didn't have any.

Anyway - sems to be working okay - they've not been at all waterogged this past few wet weeks.

It is a bit of extra effort up front but makes like easy once you are rolling with it.

photo here from a while back - I'll post another one later with stuff in it!!!

[crowndale]

Nice smart beds there!  

I have clay under soil and it does make for drainage problems though I am fotunate that the ground is reasonably flat.  I have put in a very short drainage channel under my new (when I have finished it!) gravel path.  The other day during some truly awful rain I went out to take a look and the area that would normally flood was clear of water, brill.  Sadly we then had a months rainfall in 24 hours after that and the whole vege patch flooded but that has never happened before so i figure is a one off (hopefully). extra Drainage is certainly a good way to go.  

I have also built raised beds in the worst area for drainage in the vege patch but before putting them in dug in a load of sand and manure and they haven't had a big problem this year though one patch still needs extra sand I suspect this autumn.

[MrsR]

Raised beds it iss then definately