clay soil

[zamolxe]

i want to trow few plants outdoor but the spot i have is got clay soil . Any suggestions..? thanks

 

[homebrew420]

sure. Coir, and compost. If you can water regularly even perlite. Don't forget as big a hole as you can dig. The bigger the root mass the bigger the yield. Good luck in all you do

 

[CheechWizard]

Rice hulls work great for clay soil. They expand and create nice size air pockets so you'll get better drainage. The rice hulls are best mixed with compost and coco coir.

 

[bluegrass]

I've had INSANE results when growing in clay! Here in the bluegrass the red clay is amazing with nothing added! Im not recommending it to you but for me it was great with no amendments...

 

[zamolxe]

thank you all for the suggestions .Do you recommend some gravel inthe bottom of the hole?

 

[CheechWizard]

If your digging a deep hole (around four feet deep) I'd use drain rock over gravel for the bottom foot. The round drain rocks have larger spaces and let the water run through quicker than gravel. Better yet... put a perf. pipe under the gravel and have one end running out of your hole on the down hill side. That way the water can exit rather than soaking into the native dirt.

 

[DoctorFungi]

Worm Castings

Any kind of soil/soiless mix that you decide to make , make sure that u make it about 25% earthworm castings......

Its an excellent source of Nitrogen and the only one that WILL NOT burn your plants no matter what.....The plants take only what they can process and they leave the rest behind with no ill effects....Good Luck

Doctor Fungi:anim_44:

 

[PK PLANTER]

Ive seen some bad results from plants grown in medium like your talkin about. I would recommend a large hole with the foot of 3/4 inch rock at the bottom to increase dranage. The idea about the leach line from the gravel bottom might be a little over-board but it would leach the water if its necessary. Instead of surfacing, i would most likely have the leach line setup like a septic tanks system, spreading the run-off water out for increased drainage. the most important thing is that you allow a large root space of whatever top quality medium you go with, because the clay isnt gonna produce the best results. GOOD LUCK TO ALL,

 

[kierdog]

gypsum works great for loosening up clay soils, also helps regulate ph a bit too I believe

 

[baggins]

2 most effective additives are lime(gypsum) and humic acid. once you understand what clay is...fixing it is easy

 

[Patriot]

I have a friend that recomends the same...the red soil alone does the trick

I've had INSANE results when growing in clay! Here in the bluegrass the red clay is amazing with nothing added! Im not recommending it to you but for me it was great with no amendments...

 

[highroller]

gypsum works great for loosening up clay soils, also helps regulate ph a bit too I believe

Gypsum is the ticket for breaking up clay soils.

 

[ismokepot]

There is quite a difference between lime and gypsum for breaking up clay soil. Gypsum is much more effective. It should be added months before the planting- to give it a chance to go thru the chemical process..... and break up the clay particles.