Topic: clay, drainage, grit etc

[MrsKP]

having discovered  today just how solid my clay soil is, i guess it would be a good idea to add something to improve the drainage  at the bottom of the raised bed before refilling it.

so ..... what should i use ??  pea gravel  or something similar or something completely different.  off to do a search just now, but would be grateful for any suggestions as always.

 8)

[Doris_Pinks]

Mrs. KP, I did a lasagna bed on my clay soil last year, worked a treat! Other beds I have just dug in as much organic matter as poss, manure, compost and some fine grit, that has worked too but was harder to do! (I don't like to dig unless necessary! :))
Will try and find the link on here to lasagna bed

DP
Heres the link   
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,28/topic,6059.0

[MrsKP]

I can do the newspaper and the soil and i suppose i could sacrifice my leaves currently  rotting down in black bags.

i really must go in search of some manure tomorrow.  by the looks of this weather, i'll got get much digging done.

thanks DP.

[kenkew]

The word that caught my attention, MrsKP was 'refilling'. This tells me you have dug out your bed. If that's the case, you have the chance to get it right, right from the word go. Turn over your clay in lumps. Put lots of pea gravel and coarse sand into it. Turn it agin without going deeper. Then start building with compost/manure and quality soil.
After that you have a perfect bed for-ever.

[MrsKP]

current state of play !  (including torrential rain).

you can see how much the ground slopes from right to left, so i've dug a spade deep on the right hand side and piled it all on the left. 

the pine bed if half of the raised bed frame and there'll be a matching section joining on the shorter end.  the whole frame will run parallel with the slab shed base (shed is currently propped up out of camera view - i hope it doesn't warp before it's built  ???) and i'd envisaged sinking the frame,  leaving about 6 inches of frame proud of the slabs. 

once i've got the whole base level i can move some of the mud back into the hole (complete with frame)  which will leave a wee bit more digging on the left to incorporate some drainage and other goodies.

sorry if that sounds a bit confusing, but i know what i can see in my head.

 ;D