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What is this 'soil'? OK for growing veg in?

leahme1M39cleahme1M39c Posts: 5
in The potting shed
I'm creating raised beds in an area that was covered with paving slabs. On taking up the slabs I find about 8 inchs of sand and under that a pale claggy clay. I've been removing two thirds of the sand then digging the clay and sand together. Will top up with a bulk delivery of loam. However on the final area I'm finding something looking diferent under the sand, see attached image. Instead of the pale clay is what looks like dark stained clay, with bits of what looks like coal interspersed. Its as if the clay was stained with something dark, no earthy smell, no smell at all. Is it just sour soil or might there be oil or some such? Is it OK to dig into the sand, maybe just stained with the coal? Opinions welcome! Thank you

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Where abouts in the world is your garden?  It could be evidence of prehistoric occupation, charcoaled wood from a fire or as simple as folk using the ashes from coal fires to make a path base etc.  Whatever the source, carbon is generally a good thing in the soil but not if it comes with the ashes from dometsic coal fires which can be contaminated with heavy metals.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Or someone had a load of coal tipped there at some point in the past (I occasionally find bits of coal in our front garden).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • leahme1M39cleahme1M39c Posts: 5
    I'm in Weymouth, Dorset, south coast of England.
  • leahme1M39cleahme1M39c Posts: 5
    Could be JennyJ, I heard some people used coal to surpress weeds

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