What to grow on clay
Superhero
Posts: 53
We've moved into a new house last winter and I would now like to landscape the garden. It's a small south facing space but with a big oak tree in the back, which will keep the back half in the shade.
I have just dug over the old lawn, which had totally decomposed (I am unsure whether this is down to us having kept cardboard packaging in the garden after we first moved in or whether it is solely down to the clay underneath the grass, or a mixture of both) and while digging I saw that the old grass was rolled turf (hence its dense texture, which had pretty much decomposed due to the wet weather), underneath which was a layer of sand and then orange clay. Needless to say, I stopped digging after a few meters to re-think my garden design - I was going to prep the surface for lawn seed but am now totally unsure whether this makes any sense at all.
Would the clay underneath and the poor drainage mean than next winter my lawn will suffer again? Am I better off putting gravel down? I love grass and would really miss it but it has to be within reason and budget making this happen.
Posts
If we get a wet winter yes probably, did you find anything underneath like builders rubbish etc or just pure clay? If clay, you need to address the drainage if you still want a lawn, adding sharp sand, grit, compost or any organic matter like manure. Clay has the best nutrient levels of all soils but can take years to improve it's consistency.
Pour water into a 30-60cm (1-2ft) deep hole and cover to exclude rain. If water remains for hours or even days the soil may benefit from installing drainage.
There are plant options for clay but most will need some form of enhanced drainage to stop them getting waterlogged.
Last edited: 04 March 2017 16:53:48