"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
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"Bryan" wrote in message
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"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
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1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in
definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or
mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the
microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it
up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up
the process using soil amendments.

I didn't know that! I never thought of that! Hey! How about that!

I've got a yard full of clay. The kind of adobe that sticks to a shovel
like some kind of tenacious creature from another planet. I was going to
rototill amendments into the top six inches or so of an area that I want
to turn into a garden. I guess I can still do that. I'll just have to
remember to leave the top alone once I get things rolling.



Bryan, search in the rec.gardens newsgroup for the words "clay soil" in
the subject line, in a thread begun by me. I've got a friend whose soil is
suitable for making pottery, and I was looking for suggestions to assist
her. I got some good ideas from a few people. The best one was almost
effortless. Assuming you're in a climate where the ground freezes,
puncture with a pitch fork, to the depth of the fork. Don't try to
actually move big clumps of clay - just make a series of holes. Cover with
a LOT of leaves. If it's a small plot, it may be economical to cover the
leaves with chicken wire to keep them in place. Or, hose them down just
enough to give them some weight. They should mat down and stay put after a
few days. You should see some improvement in the spring, although it'll
probably require repetition the following autumn.

Do NOT add peat moss. Clay already holds plenty of water, as you know.
And, a few people recommended adding gypsum of some sort. A real garden
center will know where to get it. But, the guy I consulted here said to
try the leaves first.


Someone told me to mix sand with the clay, but something tells me that would
be a good way to make bricks.