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clay soil

dana42dana42 Posts: 1
in The potting shed
I have 2 small raised beds where I grow raspberries, strawberries and have also grown short beans, leeks and sprouting broccoli in the past. Problem is clay soil and this year it is even harder to dig. (I'm now 73 with a sore back!!!) Clumps are like stones. I have in the past put home made compost (which appears to have worked in the bush/flower bed) but not in veg bed. Bags and bags of farm manure as advised in local nursery. Has anyone tried covering the earth during the winter to stop the rain from washing everything away? 

Posts

  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    What is the rain washing away,?
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    If your beds weren't big why didn't you remove some of the clay soil and replace with better when you first made them?
    Obviously too late now but if you've put lots of manure in your soil should be better so can't understand why you feel it's worse.
    Maybe you could try the no dig method?
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    If you don't have anything growing there over winter then a mulch of something like manure or home made compost will protect the soil to some extent and earth worms will work their way up and down through the soil improving its structure while helping the compost/manure be incorporated into the soil so it should be good to plant in once it warms up in spring. Worked well for me in clay soil anyway.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
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