Hi fellow georgians,
I am digging some old borders to plant. the soil is pure red clay with sand. Is it good enough to plant? Should i dig all up and replace it with top soil? Do I just move away?
thank you!
red clay
Amend it if you can. You can plant in it but it won't be great for most plants.
Nature's Helper (Home Depot) and peat moss are great amendments as well as sand, wheat straw, or any organic material you can scrounge up. Till in for large beds or turn over many times with a shovel for planting holes.
Thank you butch. Off to HD.
Welcome to Georgia! Best tip I ever got was to plant on TOP of the clay when you can. Raised beds rock. You will get a truly great workout digging in the clay. That said, you can't always make a raised bed, which sounds like the case with your border.
Hi Soup,
mine is a raised bed. I have bee diggin it today. Only the top 1" has good soil, down it is just red clay mexed with sand. I got some Nature's Helper and moss. will have lots of fun tomorrow!
It is easier to dig and amend red clay in the late winter or early spring - by summer it is like concrete. I use nature's helper, compost, ground leaves. The red clay keeps coming back up. You have to keep adding amendments. Eventually you have good soil.
If you really have to work it in the summer, lay a soaker hose on it for a few hours. Then pry away with a heavy duty garden fork. Hopefully you have some ivy in which you can hide some of the red clay bowling balls you dig out. I have a hand hoe I use to break up the softer clods.
thank you Sterhill.
Sorry I broke your new garden fork, Sterling. Did they replace it for you? I felt so bad but my day lillies are blooming like crazy! They are just gorgeous and you were so generous! sr
Sterling, did you get your copper arbor finished? I'll bet it is out of this world! I'm working full time now and not as much time in the flowers as I'd like, but still checking them every day for fun! Sharon
Hi Sharon - If you need any more day lilies (or iris or daisies) please don't hesitate. I love the 'checking' every day as every day is different in the garden. I like to take my coffee out and stroll through the garden in the morning, (I have found a wonderful mosquito repellant!) just to see what's new.
I have cleared more ivy and have really planted a lot back there. I did get the arbor finished and have pictures of it over at http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/581881/ - quite a discussion this thread turned into! Scroll down for pix of the grapes growing up it.
Everybody comments on the bird mobile you gave me!
Sterling (don't worry about the fork!)