"Bryan" wrote in message
. ..

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

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.