Topic: Breaking up clay soil & bed size

[sarahr]

Hi,
I've just got an allotment that is 18' X 67' and 15' X 67. Next year I want to try crop rotation. What's the widest that I should have the beds? I have really heavy clay soil because the plot has been fallow for the past three years. It has been dug, rotovated, ploughed and rotovated. Are there any vegetables that aid with the breaking up of the lumps of clay? We just planted some potatoes, courgettes, pumpkin, onions and cabbage. We're not expect much, just hoping the soil will break up some more.

[carrot-cruncher]

I've got quite loamy soil on my allotment so I'm gradually adding organic stuff (mainly horse manure) to lighten it's texture.   Bed size wise I would go for whatever size suits you best.   What you've got to remember is that you've got to be able to reach all the way into the centre of the bed for howing & weeding etc.

I'm fairly short myself so my beds are only eight foot wide & twelve foot long.  

[kingkano]

Dont think there are any on their own  ::) Potatoes are good, but its your back breaking that does the wrok there (digging the pots out, earthing up, etc).  

Nice rotten black manure will greatly improve the soil structure (I have clay and the area I did last year is great this year).  So make some stacks of manure now ready to add at the end of the season.

Somebody did tell me adding gypsum helps to break down the clay?!?!

[gilgamesh]

If your soil is heavy clay, then you will need to use muck and lime (never together) to get it into condition. Clay compacts and puddles to an impervious mess, so you might like to consider a "no-dig" system, using permanent beds, on at least a 4-year rotation (spuds, brassicas, roots, pulses), with an area cut off for permanent crops (fruit, aparagus, artichokes etc). On that plan, most authorities suggest a 4-foot width for the beds, as long a bed as possible, and permanent paths between them. Although many people raise the beds, that's not strictly needed - but it does help stop them getting waterlogged.

[gilgamesh]

If your soil is heavy clay, then you will need to use muck and lime (never together) to get it into condition. Clay compacts and puddles to an impervious mess, so you might like to consider a "no-dig" system, using permanent beds, on at least a 4-year rotation (spuds, brassicas, roots, pulses), with an area cut off for permanent crops (fruit, aparagus, artichokes etc). On that plan, most authorities suggest a 4-foot width for the beds, as long a bed as possible, and permanent paths between them. Although many people raise the beds, that's not strictly needed - but it does help stop them getting waterlogged.

There is only one crop that I know of that shades out weeds etc. and helps break up the soil better than the Mighty Spud - the Jerusalem Artichoke, if you can stand eating 1.73 megas of them (vile things in my estimation).

[The gardener]

Re-width of bed.

Keeping in mind that we are not all of the same height I work on the premis..........kneel down stretch forward and pretend to be weeding.

On reaching a comfortable distance from the edge of the bed, assume this point to be the middle of the bed, so doubling this distance will give you beds of a width that are comfortable to work with from either side, without over stretching.

I find my beds are about 5ft to 5ft 6inches wide.

I also find this width suited to give me four plants about 18inches apart  as in the case of brassicas for example.
For closer spaced stuff this width seems to work well with most things.

So in other words, its very much personal choice.

[Doris_Pinks]

My beds are  around 4-5 foot wide. I have 3 HEAVY clay beds, they are cracking already!!  Have put Jerusalem artichokes in one, sorry Gilgamesh but we love em!!!  (though, no one talks to us during artichoke season!!) and potatoes in the others. When I was earthing up my potatoes, I used grit, old compost, and manure, and the earth is getting there! Get as much organic matter as you can into the soil, I shall be using my old growbags at the end of the season to throw on, plus lots of well rotted manure.
I am making mine into raised beds to help with the drainage and soil! DP

[sarahr]

Is it alright to use that pelleted chicken stuff that I've seen in gardening sections of various stores? I have no idea where to get horse manure from.
If I understand what everyone is saying I should do four year crop rotation. Split the plot off into five sections, within each section the beds should be about five foot wide and I should make permanent paths between them.

the Jerusalem Artichoke

What does this taste like? Is it a permanent plant? Will it start springing up again next year?

[gavin]

Hi Sarahr

I'm the wrong person to answer, as I have a monumental aversion to supporting industrial chicken farming in any way, shape or form!  The idea of paying these people for the priviledge of using their waste products ---------- woops, rant terminated!

But on horse manure - are there any riding stables near you?  They may be glad of somebody coming along offering to remove some of the stuff.  They may even deliver it for you - for a small fee!  I'll try to find the url again of a national list of horse stables.

Good luck - Gavin

[Doris_Pinks]

Sarah,you can get bags of rotted horse manure from most garden centers now, has the advantage of adding lots of organic bulk to your plot! (but an expensive way to get it, calling local stables to see if they have any well rotted stuff you can take offf their hands, is a good way to find it!)
Chicken pellets really just fertilize, and don't add the bulk.
The other thing that I find is a must have, is a compost heap!!
Think we have discussed Jerusalem Artichokes on here before, try putting it into search and see if it comes up. They say, (think it was Eric) that it is best to dig them up every year and replant, they have a taste all unto themselves, and worth buying a few first to see if you like them, oh and the windy side effects they can produce! :o

[sarahr]

I couldn't see what the chicken pellets would do but it did say organic manure on the box. How much should I be looking to pay for the bags of farmyard manure? Is this too much? I don't drive so it's a bit difficult to get out to garden centres as most of them are out in the county and you feel guilty asking someone for a lift to go out there. I will ask around about the horse manure I've seen quite a bit rotting on people's plots.
Thanks for all the advice.  :)

[Shuffles]

Sarah

Asking people on your plot is the easiest way to get a local manure supplier. A local farmer brings manure to our site. I think he just charges us for his time to deliver it as it only costs £20 for as much as you want, a full load is 3 tons of the stuff! They tell me 3 tons is about 130 wheelbarrows worth!