Gardening in clay

[NH Homesteader]

Hi Southern friends, this is for you!

DH and I are considering (strongly) moving to TN. Better weather for homesteading, cheaper living, little snow! NH does however have seriously lovely soil. TN has a lot of red clay, DH saw in his recent visit. He asked me to ask you all what you have to do to get a healthy garden growing in that?

I would love to do raised beds, at least for some things but it seems like an expensive solution? We have plenty of critters to help with compost and organic matter, including pigs for tilling!

 

[lcertuche]

X2...I used to put all the leaves, grass clippings, spoiled hay then let the chickens in the garden all winter. It was the best garden. From rocky hard packed clay to beautiful worm filled soil. All this in one winter, so it can happen sooner than you think. It didn't cost anything but my labor.

 

[Beekissed]

Typically and for most of my life, the key to planting in clay soil was to keep tilling it. Wide spaced rows so you can get a tiller in it and a tiller with a hilling attachment was how we kept weeds down and kept the soil loose enough for root expansion. We also used bagged fertilizers when planting. That's how many still do it here...that's been passed down as the only way to garden in clay soil.

Some years back I started trying other ways to keep soil loose and the soil covered. I've tried a little of everything but currently I'm involved in creating new topsoil through the Back to Eden gardening method. So far it has improved the soil and the looseness of the underlying clay but I've had varied results on growing thus far...the jury is still out on how effective it is.

I don't have to till, it's great for keeping moisture in the garden, it certainly attracts the earthworms, and it suppresses weed growth and allows easy removal of weeds that do take root.

 

[Britesea]

When we lived in the Bay area of CA (wonderful place to garden, but WAY too many people!) we had 3 30x30 fenced plots. Each year we would run a couple of pigs in one, the next one got all the chicken and guinea pig litter (his mom had over 500 guinea pigs- she is well known to the cavy world) and the third plot got the garden. The following year, the pigs would be where the garden had been, and the litter would be dumped where the pigs had been. This had been going on for something like 30 years by the time my husband and I took over the property. The garden always did wonderfully; I've dug more than 4 feet down and never hit hardpan in there. I sure miss that soil!

 

[Mini Horses]

My grandparents had clay in WV. Things grew well. It depends on the type & depth of clay it seems. I know it sure put a stain on the clothes. Leaves, shavings, lawn clippings, pigs rooting.......all helps.

I am fortunate to have great topsoil, sand and finally some clay about 5-6 feet down. Haven't had to deal with it. Can see where water could be compromised as well as root growth.

So, once you buy, consider this if clay is an issue. Make a trench for the crop row. Fill that with your compost, straw, etc., then plant. Come Fall, plow hard and add organic matter. Pain in butt, & probably less than no garden.

 

[baymule]

Pig tractoring!! Fence two garden areas. Run chickens in one, pigs in the other over the winter. Then take them out before spring planting and give yourself time to get the soil prepared for planting. Or you can alternate the garden areas, keep animals in one for a year, while you garden in the other, then switch them the next year.

While animals are living in next year's garden, mulch heavy with straw, hay, leaves, wood chips or whatever you can get, and let the animals "compost" them for you.

 

[sumi]

That is a great idea Just make sure the droppings from especially the pigs have time to age and break down a bit, or it will fry your plants. A very quick way to reduce the acidity in the soil/compost, if needed, is to mix a generous portion of wood ashes in. I did that once after adding a bit too much chicken poop to the compost heap. It reduced the acidity very, very quickly. Good way to use up fireplace/wood stove ashes too.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

We have plenty of critters to help with compost and organic matter, including pigs for tilling!

That is the key! Before I poisoned my soil with bad hay, I would compost, compost, compost!

 

[NH Homesteader]

So theoretically it takes a while of composting before much will grow?

 

[NH Homesteader]

Thanks! And I forgot about the hay issue, if we move I have to find a new hay source, mine here are safe and I'll miss them, haha!

I like the trench idea, we are considering getting rabbits so between that and the goats we'll have perfect fertilizer!