I know soapy water and detergants are a good spread for clay soils. Has anyone had any luck with a different way?
anyone know of any good ways to condition clay soil?
I'm not exactly sure what your application is for? Just loosening it up?
I had wonderful luck double digging in small amounts of gypsum, then adding manure and then something with larger bits to force the clay apart (which is why the gypsom does at first, but it doesn't keep working in the soil, it stays long enough for the other stuff to incorporate itself)...like Mr. Natural or any brand of the very fine ground pine bark. I also really love but am not not close to the local free compost. In some areas of my garden I also added with this mixture some chicken grit. Mainly in the rock garden. This works great when it rains more frequently but this year that has caused the garden to be too dry. It's hard to keep the soil wet where I incorporated the grit/builders sand/sand...so I'd suggest you not use it.
I will say that this method did take me several years to achieve really REALLY good soil. But I have areas that are now black, free running soil for a good 2' down into the soil now. I would ammend, plant and then a few years later dig everything up in the winter, ammend again, re-plant. Sounds like a lot of work but I know with frequent mulching it will never have to be dug like that again!
GGG
Try the lasagna garden method. That's what I'm having to do. I'm 45 mins. south of you on I-75. I've got a lot clay too. I feel your pain.
Deborah
Compost, compost, compost is the way to go but can be a slow process getting it started.
Wheat straw tilled in also helps a lot. As mentioned earlier, gypsum is supposed to be excellent for clay. Sand can also be used.
Nature's Helper is great for loosening clay soil but you have to work it in. For planting shrubs, trees, etc. I mix in liberal amounts of this (Home Depot and other stores carry this amendment) and some peat moss to the planting hole which helps get the plant off to a pretty good start.
Nature's Helper and cheap bags of composted manure is what I use when I don't have shredded leaves to add. Thank God for my Mantis tiller!
Well, like most of us in GA I have that lovely clay soil, and today I started my first lasagna bed. Before it's all over with, I will probably have 4 or 5 started by winter. I have everyone I know collecting grass clippings and leaves for me. I'm a little nervous about the grass clippings, I'm hoping there aren't many grass seeds in there! Pardon my newbie ignorance, but what does soapy water do for the soil?? This forum is such a wealth of info!!
Susan
Susan, I'm with you; I can't think how soapy water might benefit the soil except that it kills or shoos-away lacybugs and the like. Maybe a veteran gardner can enlighten us newbies.
Deborah
Soapy water and detergents mixed with water have been allowing the soil to soften. So now it also allows rain and all to penetrate it quicker-so no more run off! But yes it is a serious bug deterrant an I'm not sure about the long term effects.
This stuff I'm getting is pretty interesting. I'm going to have to cut and paste.
Flowtron LE-900 The Ultimate Mulcher - I bought this thing: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006XMTM/qid=1153664764/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2102715-8631314?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=228013 I hope that long link works! And I just love it. If you read the reviews, you'll find that half the people hate it and the other half - like me - just love it. You do need two people to put it together. And you cannot put sticks or big pinecones in it. Sweet gum balls are ok. Its like a weedeater, upside down. You do need to let the leaves, etc flow down into the top - you cannot stuff it as it will jam. That seems to be what most of the reviewers complain about. That and it will not take sticks. You can buy line for it from Wal-Mart and it is easy to replace the lines.
I've been looking for something like this for a long time. I think it is wonderful. I grind up my millions of leaves and pine needles and work it into the soil. You can let piles sit and they will compost very quickly. $129 with free shipping from Amazon.com
Also, I can store it on my shelves in the garage.
Thank you Sterhill! I thought all mulchers were huge and out of my price range.
Deborah
Lol that reminds me of my cousin in new jersey who had an industrial mulcher and used to wood chip almost all areas of his yard. That one looks more practical though!
That's what I thought too - I've seen the big ones for too much money and then where would you keep it?! This one works great - if you don't put sticks in it. It is not a grinder and that is what many of the reviewers on Amazon complain about. But leaves and pine needles come out any size you like. There is even a setting for wet leaves but I have not tried that one. I have a big plastic bucket I put under it - about 30" diameter - and it fills quickly.
It does make a lot of noise. I use my shooter's earmuffs when I use it. I've been looking for this sweetie a long time.
I'm one of the "I didn't like it crowd"--too dusty and kept getting jammed. I have a Sears blower-vac that I love almost as much as my Mantis, electric again--much quieter and $59.00. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?vertical=LAWN&cat=Power+Lawn+Equipment&subcat=Blowers&pid=07174826000&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes
What I love about this is that I can vacum all the big leaves out of my beds then empty the finer stuff right back in. I also store some in trash bags to compost and replentish when needed.
Oh Vi - that was one of the things I tried but I found the bag to get too heavy and it filled up too fast! I had to keep dumping it. It does work though.
On the mulcher, I read one review (I read ALL the reviews!) where a 70 y/o lady said to hold up a big clump of leaves/pine needles above the mulcher and let them "flow" into the top, don't just drop them in and it won't jam. That way you can also feel if there are any sticks or big cones in it. I love this thing as I have millions of leaves in the fall. This one is electric but it is really noisy.
Electric Mantis? I've been looking at that. Any problems with the cord? I would love to have one!!!!!!!!
To each their own as they say, the vac even does twigs and wettish leaves. I like the bag, can open just a bit to pour where needed as I go--you don't have to carry it full ;)
The Mantis--I love, even dug out a small pond with it! I'm all alone out here so I need muscle I can handle. No problem with cord at all, I'd rather watch it than hear the noise from the 2 or 4 cycle or start it and smell it. And digging holes for planting shrubs and trees. worth every penny--can't remember when I last dug a hole. Plus, it has 3 speeds, so when I'm cultivating I don't have to worry about it jumping either. This is my 3rd Mantis, first one lasted about 10 years, got the second one had it for a year until the electric came out, so I sold the 2nd one--never regretted it a second.
Vi,
I am thinking of getting a mantis but first I have a question. My borders are full of very thick tree roots. How does the mantis deal with them? Is it worth getting it?
thank you.
How thick are they? What kind? Will they just be growing back into the border? You may want to plant away from the trees a bit, you've seen our climate, it's not England. The trees will compete for every drop of moisture.
The Mantis will chop some and get tangled in others (like sweetgum, grrr, stay away) I just use my mattock on big ones instead of fighting. Wait till you see how it flips rocks out! Why not use the badly rooted area for your pots and flats and let your flower border hide them?
It's worth getting for so many reasons, digging, making raised beds, mixing ammendments, cultivating and edging. For a veggie garden or planting rows it's really neat, it kind of hills and furrows all by itself.
When do we get to see your yard??
Oh Vi, I have a yard but my garden is non existent. I am trying to dig the clay but it is so hard. The front garden is full of big trees with massive roots sticking out. The problem is, the house is already lower than the garden (at the bottom of a small hill). If I do raised borders it will be even worse., the house will disappear.
These bl$$dy roots are everywhere.
The pots under the trees idea sound really good.