If I had to do it all over again, I would have deep tilled, removed all the clay, deep tilled again then removed all that clay and used it around the yards to fill in low spots. I would have then had top soil and compost hauled in, mixed it all up and use to fill back in my garden spot. It would have been a lot less time consuming and less expensive.
I'm an southern Ohio boy who was raised around the Ohio river - Those river bottoms and foothills have absolute perfect soil. But I'm a "half ass" homesteader in Middle Tn right now....In clay.
I want to know what the rest of you have done with your clay to get it "workable". I'd like to expand this garden a bit. It's now 120ft x 40ft and I'd like to see it 1.5 the size but hate to think about all the work and expense that it takes to increase the size.
Oh, I have a small tractor w/ tiller, so it's not like I am doing it by hand, but still over 2 years with this being the third planting season l have: Tilled tilled and tilled (to break up), added table scraps (no meat), direct dumped chicken waste (typically 8 birds deep liter method) for 2 years from fall until end of year. I've composted the litter during gardening season. I had a friend with access to pretty good top soil so he hauled me in 4 yards and dumped on and I mixed it in (I wanted to raise it).
I've put on nearly 2 yards of composted Horse manure. I've added in around 1.5 yards of mushroom compost. I even found a good deal on some mulch and mulched the entire thing for weed control while really thinking "This is a great price for getting weed control and adding some texture to my soii". I've added on maybe 10 bales of straw and worked it all in. I've gathered leaves in the fall and a lot of grass clippings in he summer to my compost pile (that also goes on the garden when ready).
How have you guys made your clay "better"?
Let's Talk About Clay Soil
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