Questions tagged [clay]
Fine grained mineral component of soil. Lots of clay can cause a soil to be heavy and sticky.
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Is it a known phenomenon that clay, silt and sand separate easily in bad tilth with litte humus?
I have witnessed the following phenomenon multiple times:
The soil looks compressed and trampled on for a long time and is presumed to contain little to no humus. There is also no visible plant life.
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Removing clay soil and replacing soil for new sod
I’ve been struggling for a while trying to save my 12x12 front yard grass from not growing well and dying. Mostly because the clay soil doesn’t absorb any water from the rain and it just becomes ...
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How do I fix my muddy, boggy clay lawn?
My lawn turns into mud between October and April every year (UK), and then in the summer becomes almost impervious to garden forks. If I do manage to break the surface, it's still fairly damp ...
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How can I repair the short patches in my lawn?
My grass is growing quite unevenly before and after scarifying, over-seeding and watering and I'm looking for advice on what to try next.
We own a new build property in the UK with clay-like soil. We ...
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Garden space in a basement with dirt space
My house was built in 1952 and the basement was dug out from under the house at a later date. The way they did this left a perfectly sized (approximately 12"x40", about 4' from the floor) ...
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Is deep soil mixing necessary for compacted clay soil before planting a tree?
I am a newbie gardener, and would like to plant around 15 polyalthia longifolia trees in my garden.
The main problem here is that my garden's reddish-clay-soil seems to be compacted.
Clay sticks ...
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Adding worms to clay soil - worth it?
I have a large area of miserable clay soil which I'm looking to start rehabilitating. For the past 15 years it's been neglected and had nothing but some unwanted grass. It's very compacted due to ...
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Should I use an open or closed French drain in clay soil?
Around my property is dense, clay soil that holds on to water to the point where the soil will still be damp in hot, dry weather. This has resulted in poor drainage, so I’m currently installing French ...
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What can I grow in my wet, moldy, clay soil that covers about 1/2 acre of my yard?
I am in the southeast and despite putting down gypsum, overseeding and aerating, I can't get grass to grow in much of my yard. I have stopped watering this area all together because it stays really ...
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What are good evergreens for a windbreak on heavy clay soil?
Looking for an evergreen variety or two to establish windbreaks in an exposed position on heavy clay soil that can get very dry in summer. Temperate climate in the UK, the site gets plenty of sun.
I ...
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How much topsoil on top of clay to level sloping garden
Hi I have a separated garden first is lawn and the second was a play area with a (10m x 6m)membrane over clay with bark. We have now removed bark and want a level lawn but my problem is how do I level ...
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What garden plants will help in waterlogged garden
I have a small square garden space 4x4 meters, where I just took of pavement slabs and stones to reveal a mixture of aggregate, pebbles and clay under a 20-25 cm of soil, not the best grade, though. I ...
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Looking for irrigation solution for a big orchard with clay soil and salty spring water
Some facts about the property
Area: 4 hectares
Altitude: 1600m from sea level
Zone 6: Winter lows down to -20 celisius.
Full sun more than 95% of year
Yearly Rainfall/Snow 50- 200ml
Access to a ...
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How to Build a Nature Pond with Stone & Bentonite Clay
I'm in the process of designing a nature pond to raise some small fish and attract amphibians. Its requirements are the following:
Contain a round central chamber 2 ft across (diameter) and 4 ft deep
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Which native North Eastern American ferns are suitable for a clay-rich location?
I'm in Montreal, Canada zone 5a-5b (USDA zone 4), and although I add lots of compost types as well as fresh wood mulch yearly, my soil will remain fairly rich in clay. Which ferns indigenous to the ...
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Heavy wet clayey soil - grit, sand or perlite?
I live in a rented house with a garden in North East of England. Last year I attempted to create a small bed for growing herbs and some vegetables but the soil appears to be very clayey and wet all ...
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Landscaper dumped clay dirt over lawn
We've had a landscaper over to replace a retaining wall, but he dumped/spread the dirt he dug all over our lawn. It's heavy clay so I'm not sure if grass will grow through the clay. Our lawn hasn't ...
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I have a small 8 x 5 foot hard clay soil area surrounded by concrete that only pools when it rains
Surrounded by concrete, I have a small 8 x 5 foot area with hard clay soil that only pools when it rains. I want to remover the top 2 to 3 feet of clay and replace with organic compost than top soil. ...
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What fruit trees to grow in clay soil - USDA hardiness zone 9a/10?
I have a tall order -
Are there any fruit trees which will grow well with little work in clay soil and can handle wet winters where the temperature gets to -5c occassionally?
Ideally trees which ...
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What type of soil do I have
I was digging to see what kind of soil I have and I found this gray rust brown layer.
It's like clay when compressed but kind of crumbles in chunks.
It's around 6" from the top.
I'm curious how this ...
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How to revive a low nitrogen and rocky soiled lawn?
The situation is explained below in terms of my lawn with the question at the end
I recently moved into a new home two years ago and by the looks of the lawn it was low in nitrogen. A little more ...
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Internet says to plant bulbs 3 or 5 times (depending on the bulb) its own depth. What if you're planting in clay soil?
Does the planting depth change when it comes to soil that's more clay then the loamy soil you get at the nurseries? Since clay soil is heavier and has the ability to retain moisture, would it restrict ...
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Liriope muscari - why no flowers?
I live in west Essex, England. Several years ago I planted a group of three Liriope muscari in partial shade in very heavy clay soil. They flowered the first year, but have not done so since and haven'...
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Garden smells of dog urine due to no drainage [closed]
I have 2 dogs, who routinely use the bathroom in my front garden. One of my dogs pees in the same place about 90% of the time he goes out. Due to a lack of drainage, and what I imagine is 100% ...
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Drainage problems and replacing existing grass
We have a lot of standing water after rain. Also our grass is "mushy" long after the rain has past. What is the best drainage and how do I prep my soil for new grass?
Standing water:
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Can blueberry bushes survive in clay soil long term with the right help?
Last year I planted three 1-year-old blueberry bushes in my back yard in clay soil and I've added several inches of mulch and soil amendments, but have a feeling that they won't do well in clay soil ...
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Clay Yard Drainage Issues
We just moved into a house with a yard that's about 45'x80' with some pretty bad drainage issues. After large rain the whole yard is water logged for days, with a few square yards where it actually ...
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How can I remove or disperse clay soil stuck in/on grass
I recently augured two holes in my yard for posts. I was not able to keep all the debris contained. I cleaned up what landed on a board I laid down and the large piles with a shovel. I raked up as ...
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Potential drainage issue?
I excavated the yard to build a stepping stone walkway. There's water collecting at the intersection of the walkway and the city's sidewalk.
I'm planning to back-fill and compact with crushed gravel ...
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How can I soften clay soil and enrich it for plants?
A few years ago, we used a clay type soil for filling holes in
our garden. Later the soil became very hard and most of our plants and trees are not healthy. Only unwanted plants are growing.
Is ...
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Clay filled lawn with bad drainage, needs solution
We just bought 28 acres of land with a 30 year old existing house in the center on about 1 acre cleared, the rest is completely tree filled.
There is a natural slope only a few degrees heading from ...
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Do I need to mix rice husk and clay soil?
Someone gave me 1 sack of rice husk and multiple sacks of clay soil. I've been thinking if just planting in a pure clay soil is enough or do I really need to mix it to rice husk?
If I need to mix it, ...
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RE: Missouri Clay - how well will day lilies (Hemerocallis fulva) grow in this mixture of soil?
My yard contains a good amount of Missouri clay and I would like to plant some day lilies; will they survive/thrive in thick soil like this? Also, do they do well in direct sun or shade and what type ...
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Will Lilac do well in soil with a high concentration of clay?
I would like to plant some Lilac but may be cursed with Missouri clay. Will Lilac generally do OK if planted in clay-rich soil? What is a good way to start a new planting?
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Dead Dogwood post-mortem: How to ensure these next plants do better in clay
This question is accompanied by this previous question...
Did my Dogwood die because it was planted with wire around the roots?
So clearly my two dead Dogwood trees didn't do so hot in clay. The ...
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Is drainage needed for a new lawn on compacted clay?
I am in the process of creating a lawn at the back of my house. The previous owner had paved and stoned the area. The size is about 30ft by 40ft, it is raised from the level of the house by about 2ft, ...
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What evergreens will tolerate alkaline clay soil in USDA zone 4?
Although the area where I live is famed for it's white pine they grow in sandy soils. My garden has a thin skim of topsoil over six feet of compact alkaline (ph 7) clay.
My dwarf white pine is doing ...
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What is the advantage of a raised bed over clay soil vs just amending the clay soil?
Assuming:
There are no tree roots or moles around to worry about.
I am young and don't mind bending over the extra 6-12 inches.
What is the advantage of building a raised bed vs just heavily ...
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Should I do a soil test before or after amending soil?
I want to plant blackberries, raspberries, and a vegetable garden in the heavy clay soil in my backyard. So, I plan to heavily amend it by spreading 3" expanded shale and 6" of compost and working ...
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Can I fix clayey soil with hugel beds?
I heard about hugel kultur beds, study a bit about it and I think it might help me fix my backyard. It is about 13x11 m that I want to be fertile (so far only weed grows in it). It is heavily packed ...
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How to grow Trailing Rosemary as a ground cover in very heavy clay?
I want to cover a large area that is on a steep slope with ground cover. There is absolutely no soil at all, it's all pure clay: hard rock when dry and soft when wet.
I was thinking of putting a ...
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Is mulch or topsoil better for new lawn in clay soil?
We just built a new home and the back yard has quite a bit of clay in it. We are planning on seeding the yard in the next month (September). I'm trying to decide between topsoil (4-6 inches) or ...
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What should I do with Hostas planted in heavy clay soil?
My landscaper (I use this term very loosely) planted some hostas in my front yard. The soil there is very heavy clay and also covered with mulch. Some of the bulbs seem to be doing alright, others ...
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Drought-tolerant grass for sunny, wet Texas clay
I live in Texas, and my back yard is on the bottom of a hill; thus it gets lots of run-off from other houses in the subdivision. The run-off causes problems you'd normally expect:
Soft, boggy lawn ...
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Weeds, Grass, Soil: What to fix first?
My backyard is pretty much a weed garden. I have the following concurrent problems:
Poor soil (mostly hard clay)
Lots of weeds (mostly bull thistle and some dandelions)
Dead grass (around 30-50% of ...
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How can I amend clay soil with soil, without digging?
I live in a USDA hardiness zone 5 temperate area. Our soil is definitely heavy clay. I have bags and bags of dirt that I can use to amend it, but I'm stuck as to how.
See, the clay is very heavy, and ...
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Adding clay soil to compost
I just started composting (again). I added a bunch of greens to a big bin, and then I added some soil.
In the meanwhile, I was uprooting a bunch of grass for a vegetable bed, and without thinking, I ...
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How can we grow grass in our heavy clay yard?
My wife and I have been living in a new subdivision for the past two years and have been struggling with getting grass to fully take in our backyard. Our front yard is sod and has been doing fine, but ...
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How much compost should I add to a clay soil for roses?
A few months ago I removed a lot of over grown shrubs; the soil is clay based topsoil on top of solid clay. The top soil is about one spade deep. I don’t think the garden has had any compost for ...
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Is the "Paris Market" carrot a good variety for clay-rich soil?
I have tried growing carrots now and then, but they were always twisting around all of the rocks and squeezing through the clay, and I basically got a bad crop of strong flavored, tough carrots that ...
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