Topic: Soil problems

[elhuerto]

Hi there

I've been reading the forums for a few weeks and it's been a great resource - thanks.

We've just taken over an allotment from one of the old guys in the village. This is in the north-east of Spain and hasn't been used in a couple of years. It's a decent size probably around 10m x 20m and is walled on 3 sides. We have a large water deposit and mains water. The climate is a tad extreme - regularly ranging from over 35ºC in Summer and under -3ºC in Winter. We haven't had rain since January but it was quite a wet winter compared to recent ones. Currently the daytime temperature is just below 20ºC, falling to 4ºC at night - been like this for the last couple of weeks and is set to continue it seems.

The problem we're having is the soil appears to be quite dry clay based. We've dug in quite a lot of horse / chicken manure and compost but the drainage is still very poor and top level is crusting over in the heat. Overwatering leads to mud and then crusting.

Could anyone suggest a way of lightening up the soil, either for now or over the autumn / winter months?

Cheers

[saddad]

Welcome to the site Elhuerto.
Given your location you need advice from Biscombe.
More muck, and More muck is the answer where ever you are.
 ;D

[Eristic]

Put the manure on the soil surface.

[Bjerreby]

I was going to ask just how far you are from the sea elhuerto, but then something tells me there isn't much seaweed in your area. Isn't it quite rocky?

Truckloads of seaweed does the trick all across the world. You can dig it in if you like, but  would just pile in on top and grow in it, adding compost over time. I hate digging, and it seems quite unecessary to me if you just loosen the soil beneath with a fork to improve drainage.

[Barnowl]

Would sand help?

Perhaps use some soaker hoses just buried below the surface?

[1066]

Hi and welcome to A4A
"Overwatering leads to mud and then crusting" - I know that feeling, I have a plot that is heavy clay and uncultivated for a few years, although not your temperatures!. I'd go with whatever organic material you can throw at it - muck, compost, straw, more muck etc. It will take time to improve it. I'd also try and mulch as heavily as possible - this is what I plan to do more of this year

[elhuerto]

Thanks very much for your replies and welcome, more muck it is then. I will try with some sand added too although we're quite a way from the coast for the seaweed.

Cheers

[Tee Gee]

I think I would get away from the UK style of gardening.

In fact do a bit of both; in summer grow stuff that is suited to the area.

Then in either in late summer or late winter grow stuff that we might grow in the height of summer.

How long is your winter normally? and when do you get the coldest temperatures?

If I new this I could make a better judgement of your situation.

Regarding the crust/dryness of your soil I would constantly hoe the area and not let the crust develop. You wil find your soil wont dry out as fast this way i.e. you will get less evaporation.

What came to mind when I read your query was; it proves that the fickle old british weather is not so bad afterall. 8) 8)

[thifasmom]

hi and welcome to the site. i would second mulching it would slow down the rate of water evaporation reducing the risk of the soil capping immensely, this would also reduce the need for watering and will go a long way to suppressing weeds. adding muck or other large amts of organic matter over a couple seasons will certainly improve the soils drainage and its overall structure and health. good luck and wishing you a great growing season.

[telboy]

elhuerto,
sand is a good idea to open the soil but make sure it's sharp sand!
Compost/manure etc. as previous posts is excellent advice.

[delboy]

Use rocks to reduce the crusting and the evaporation that causes it. Tried and tested method in South America.

As long as the growing medium is healthy then most mediterranean crops will grow well. Brassicas will always be a problem!

[elhuerto]

Great advice - thanks for all your thoughts and time. Mulching sounds a good idea, what do you suggest. I have plenty of horse manure and last years collection of semi composted fig leaves - sound like a plan? The rock idea sounds interesting, have to look into that.

The seasons are a bit of a lottery here, sometimes winter seems to go straight into summer (like this year so far), other years we've had wet Springs and only the odd warm day before May but Winter is generally bleak from November to March. Days, sometimes weeks of fog, hard frosts as the fog clears in the evening leading to a lot of frozen trees and plants the following day(s). Farmers here can only grow olives, almonds and wheat, the only livestock is a local goat herd. The heat in Summer is pretty dry and lasts from June to September, usually with heavy rain storms before and after.

We're on top of a hill so there was no mains water here til the 1960's. There are two ponds at the bottom of the village that collected the run off rain water, one for the inhabitants and one for the animals. Most houses also have a cistern system collecting rain off the roofs and storing it in deep wells. The main drainpipe has a switch system so only rain during the "good" months would be collected for drinking. Must have been an incredibly hard existence here and most of the houses were abandoned about 50 years ago.

Cheers.

[1066]

elhuerto, it sounds like an incredible place, and as you say must have been very harsh living there before electricity and mains water.
As far as mulching goes, most things will work, manure, compost, straw, grass clippings (unlikely where you are tho!), shredded paper, your shredded fig leaves, bark chippings etc. As long as you put it down after the ground is wet then the moisture will stay in the ground for longer, and it should also be quite a thick layer, approx 3 to 5 inches deep
1066