Improving clay soil question

[newspud9]

I've just added a large bag of well-rotted manure and some compost to a small unused (but weeded) area that's been wet for some time and has quite a heavy clay consistency.  As soon as I began digging the manure in, balls of clay started to clump together. I am guessing it takes some time for things to settle down.... but can any one say how long for the soil structure to improve enough so I can use it.... weeks/months/a year?... and is there anything else I should be adding to help things along. 
Thanks to all for any responses.

[nilly71]

My clay is very heavy, Last year I added about 2" of mushroom compost and dug in as much as I could, plants went in straight away. This year it's not to bad.
Dig now while it's wet(it will be like concrete once the sun comes out), break up all the big lumps and add manure and wait for the ground to dry over the next few weeks then break up any remaining lumps and add more manure.
If you can get any sharp sand added this will also help.
The main thing is to weed as you go, it's amazing how much weed can be hidden is such a small piece of clay.

Neil

[Baccy Man]

It is usable as it is.
Adding organic matter both by digging it in & as a mulch on the surface will improve the soil over time but there is no reason you can't plant up the area now. Adding sand is a quick fix to improve drainage but not a long term solution as sand washes out. Compost, manure, leafmould etc... will be what makes the difference in the long run.

[BarriedaleNick]

Hi newspud..

I am on heavy London clay and although it's a bugger to dig it is very productive and full of nutrients.  You dont have to have a lovely fine tilth to get great results so don't sweat it too much.
Obviously add as much organic material as poss, add sand as well if you want and it will look much better after a few years.
For seeds sown in situ I channel out a groove and fill with compost and plant in that.
For stuff like toms, marrows etc I just dig a hole fill in a bit with manure/compost to get the roots started and leave them to it.  Carrots and other root veg can be a problem but I made a thin/deep bed up and filled it with coir\sand\compost to get some height.
A lot of us on our site use a bed method and build them up with any manure/compost/organic waste we can and as a result build up a good layer to plant in.  My neighbour never diggs his either but I like to dig down a bit to get the clay mixed in..
What ever you choose to do it will take two years min to get s good workable soil.

[newspud9]

Thanks to you all.. and really appreciate the helpful advice.

[goodlife]

Your heavy soil is not burden..if we get dry summer ..you'll be laughing..
..and clay soil often has lots of nutrients locked in= good fertility..
like previous post have mentioned..add lots and lots of organic matter,,what ever form the better your soil will be ..but do it a little and often manner..
During summer use mulch eg..grass clippings so your soil surface doesn't bake into hard pan..
..and if you can, try to use planks etc, to walk on so you do not compact the soil...that way you should avoid deep-digging it again and with regular mulches on surface the worms will keep it aerated ..you are only left with little weeding..

[landimad]

I have had to double dig the area so I can get the bags of paper which have been shredded over the base of the trench. This way it will open up the soil and I have used straw, horse muck and sharp sand too.

[Ian Pearson]

Growing Hungarian grazing rye as a green manure every winter for a few years makes a massive difference. It makes a lot of fibrous roots which adds up to a lot of organic matter, and all distributed through the soil without any effort from the gardener. Just hoe off the tops in Spring, remove them to the compost heap, and the bed is ready to go without any digging.

[Larkshall]

Two things are vital for clay soil, Humus and Gypsum.

Humus is anything which has rotted down from vegetation (your compost, aminal manure etc.).
Gypsum is a mineral, quite expensive in it's direct form, but if you can get old plaster board (without aluminium membrane), crush it up and dig it in, it's a good source of Gypsum and will open up the clay. Lime can also be used but on clay which also contains lime it may cause problems by raising the alkalinity of the soil.

[Ninnyscrops.]

Since 2005 I've alternated between horse manure and cattle manure, added spent hops as a mulch and only this year can I actually rake it to a semi-fine tilth, but I'd rather have clay than most other soil types 

Ninny

[JohnH]

And don't forget to be kind to your worms! regular top dressing of the soil with grass clippings will be rewarded by them doing lots of the digging, breaking up and pulling fibre underground on your behalf.

[GlentoranMark]

And don't forget to be kind to your worms! regular top dressing of the soil with grass clippings will be rewarded by them doing lots of the digging, breaking up and pulling fibre underground on your behalf.

I too am on a new clay soil site, are you saying use grass clippings as a mulch for beds? I have access to loads of clippings from a gardener. Could I also add a load of clippings underneath to each bed as I dig it?

TYIA.

[Baccy Man]

Thin layers of grass clippings are best when mulching if you go more than about 2 inches thick then you end up with a slimy mess, they do break down fast though so you can add more regularly.
Digging them in shouldn't hurt, you can certainly add them to a bean trench.

If you are getting them from someone else then make a point of checking wether any feed & weed type products have been used on them if so then don't use them as the residual weedkiller may damage or kill your plants, you would need to know exactly which product & when it was used so you can work out how long to wait before the clippings are safe to use again.