Hostafan1, I don't think anything breaks down clay, only elbow grease. Having broken it down, whatever you then incorporate, hopefully stops it reverting to a solid. For me, vermiculite has no equal because it's inert and doesn't itself break down. I think it has many of the qualities of volcanic ash, much revered in Naples. Wish I could grow those San Marzano tomatoes
Think of clay like an alien blob absorbing and assimilating anything it touches with a comedy “gloop” sound.
You can beat it by overfeeding it organic matter which will break it up and turn it into the nice kind and friendly Clay Loam alien. But be warned, you have to keep feeding it organic snacks or it reverts back to it’s clay form. If you wanted to feed it sand then you could but then you would end up with the inferior sandy clay variation which has less nutrients than it’s loamy brother and Is more expensive in the long run.
Enjoyable though this fantasy is, clay need not be an enemy and it cannot revert. It is just a fine grained, closely packed medium which benefits from the addition of coarse materials. The grit remains solid and divides up the grains while compost mixes up with and incorporates the grainy material. This process allows water and air through the soil and enables the release of nutrients. Some clay is very wet and dense and lifeless and has very poor nutrients while some has nutrients but plants struggle with the texture. Once well mixed, it can be one of the best soils there is. Poor drainage remains an issue if the water table is high or the top-soil layer shallow. You cannot overfeed with organic material and, personally, I wouldn't use vermiculite because it retains water and it is better to reduce moisture held in clay.
Thanks everyone... I particularly like the word 'gloop'! That's spot on! :-D
I will keep adding organic material and trying to build a good layer of quality soil at the top at least.. then maybe in a year or so, I'll select some of the plants recommended here and see what happens!
If you can manage to " dig " it so it's in big clods, DON'T break it down to a tilth, then add the compost /manure, it'll go deeper down and the worms etc will have an easier time than if it's on the surface.
If you could dig it before the really hard frosts occur next week , so much the better, even if you've no compost yet. Frost helps too.
I've been digging it and breaking it up a little to allow compost/woodchippings etc to filter through a bit. I'm in no hurry for it to be ready to plant as I have loads of other things to be getting along with in the garden. So I'll be patient with this and keep adding to it over time. I wont be digging today though as as the ground is frozen!! brrrrr
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Hostafan1, I don't think anything breaks down clay, only elbow grease. Having broken it down, whatever you then incorporate, hopefully stops it reverting to a solid. For me, vermiculite has no equal because it's inert and doesn't itself break down. I think it has many of the qualities of volcanic ash, much revered in Naples. Wish I could grow those San Marzano tomatoes
Sturartdot, we'll agree to differ.
Think of clay like an alien blob absorbing and assimilating anything it touches with a comedy “gloop” sound.
You can beat it by overfeeding it organic matter which will break it up and turn it into the nice kind and friendly Clay Loam alien. But be warned, you have to keep feeding it organic snacks or it reverts back to it’s clay form. If you wanted to feed it sand then you could but then you would end up with the inferior sandy clay variation which has less nutrients than it’s loamy brother and Is more expensive in the long run.
Enjoyable though this fantasy is, clay need not be an enemy and it cannot revert. It is just a fine grained, closely packed medium which benefits from the addition of coarse materials. The grit remains solid and divides up the grains while compost mixes up with and incorporates the grainy material. This process allows water and air through the soil and enables the release of nutrients. Some clay is very wet and dense and lifeless and has very poor nutrients while some has nutrients but plants struggle with the texture. Once well mixed, it can be one of the best soils there is. Poor drainage remains an issue if the water table is high or the top-soil layer shallow. You cannot overfeed with organic material and, personally, I wouldn't use vermiculite because it retains water and it is better to reduce moisture held in clay.
Thanks everyone... I particularly like the word 'gloop'! That's spot on! :-D
I will keep adding organic material and trying to build a good layer of quality soil at the top at least.. then maybe in a year or so, I'll select some of the plants recommended here and see what happens!
I much appreciate everyone's input :-)
If you can manage to " dig " it so it's in big clods, DON'T break it down to a tilth, then add the compost /manure, it'll go deeper down and the worms etc will have an easier time than if it's on the surface.
If you could dig it before the really hard frosts occur next week , so much the better, even if you've no compost yet. Frost helps too.
I've been digging it and breaking it up a little to allow compost/woodchippings etc to filter through a bit. I'm in no hurry for it to be ready to plant as I have loads of other things to be getting along with in the garden. So I'll be patient with this and keep adding to it over time. I wont be digging today though as as the ground is frozen!! brrrrr
gardening is a marathon, not a sprint.
Posy. The relationship between vermiculite and water is an interesting one. Like a J-cloth, it entrains water (and oxygen) but doesn't absorb it.