Topic: Help for new Allotmenteers!

[Strawberrygirl]

Hey everyone, we are newcomers to the world of allotments, well actually last year was our first but we put all that down to experience, and don't like to talk about it!  Anyway, we have a large plot filled with new soil/compost c/o our council who eventually agreed to replace the rubble that was there last year, however the soil below the new stuff is sodden clay, infact  it is a bog almost and we don't really know what to do for the best. We have today dug in half a bale of straw to give it fibre and help dry it up, but not sure what to do next.  We have been given mixed advice from various folk but really need some sound advice as to what to do now to get our clay soil into tip top condition.   All advice greatly appreciated. S&J

[pumkinlover]

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,65822.0.html

Good advice from pigeonseed and others

[Strawberrygirl]

Cheers for that link, plenty of good advice.  We have a compost going with leaves/straw and kitchen waste so on our way with that.  Will get some manure ordered tomorrow.  Spuds seem to the answer, have 3 types chitting nicely at the mo so watch this space....  :)

[saddad]

Welcome to A4A Strawberry girl..  :)

[Strawberrygirl]

Thanks, you'll be seeing me alot on here, we need all the help we can get lol  :D

[grannyjanny]

You've come to the right place then ;D, welcome from me too.

[pumkinlover]

 :-[Forgot to say welcome!

[Strawberrygirl]

Thanks everyone, nice to feel welcome  :)

[lincsyokel2]

raised beds might be a good plan if it doesnt drain too well.

[Strawberrygirl]

yes we are going to build some raised beds, although hubby not too good at DIY so am a wee bit worried about that, but def in the plan  :)

[lincsyokel2]

yes we are going to build some raised beds, although hubby not too good at DIY so am a wee bit worried about that, but def in the plan  :)

The ideal solution would be to bulldoze in about 100 tonnes of perlite, but it might be a tad expensive  8)

[1066]

welcome to A4A Strawberrygirl  :)

You seem to be doing everything you can with your clay, there are a few other options, like No Dig (search on here for lots of threads and check out CHarles Dowding), raised beds - don't worry about your OH's DIY, a raised bed can literally be an area that you keep adding to.

One piece of advice I was given, and makes absolute sense, is to not walk on your beds as it compacts the soil in them, and makes your clay worse so to speak. So I've knocked in some small stakes, tied a bit of string around them and marked out my growing areas, and then only walk on the paths

Anyway, hope you manage to tame your clay  :)

[shirlton]

Hope you like it here Strawberrygirl

[goodlife]

I hope you are not expecting quick result with improvement..clay will 'swallow up' huge quantities of fibrous stuff before it becomes ideal crumbly stuff..and not only the quantity but it needs it year after year..so it is long term job. What you have done so far sound like a good job ;)
But don't let it become issue..you get perfectly good crops from clay..just keep doing your improvements as routine thing and you will notice the difference.
Every soil has it own qualities..good and bad and we just have to learn to live and cope with it ;)
And yes...welcome from me too..hope to see you around ;D

[cornykev]

A good few years of organic matter mixed in the soil and as said raised beds for short term, welcome to the madhouse Strawberrygirl.   :P

[Strawberrygirl]

Hi everyone, just back from digging.... thanks for all the good advice, we popped along to Allotment society and told sharp sand is good for clay soil, so we've ordered a load to be delivered next w/end.  Today we dug gullies round our beds, which will hopefully get some air down there to dry up the soil. Plenty of worms so that's good!  Also bought some manure, so next weekend the plan is to dig in some sand then layer with a thin layer of straw and cover with manure, we'll then leave a couple a of weeks and dig over - does that sound like a good idea?

[1066]

sounds like a good idea to me, but if you fancy a rest from the digging, just do the layers (straw, manure etc) and then let nature do your work for you  ;)

Oh and while I'm on the subject of clay don't forget to mulch in summer, helps no end, and of course adds more material to your soil  ;)  :)