Amending soil using sand and opinions on some new products

[matchynishi]

I'm a fairly new gardener, and on a small budget, and I have a fair amount of work to do to work up the beds this year! My yard has extremely clayey soil, and is weedy, so some of the beds that weren't used over the last year have weeds in them. I have some theories that I want to try this year, and I wanted to run by the folks here for opinions

Comments

[plantyhamchuk]

It's possible to garden on the cheap. I'm gardening in straight clay too, and like the others said, the answer is organic matter. It takes years to improve the soil. Raised beds are popular, but they lose water more quickly than beds in the ground. In case you live some place with drought issues, it's something to think about.

What I would recommend is to test the soil, and make friends with any area arborists or people who cut down trees. Around here they will dump chipped up tree parts (mulch) anywhere you give them permission. Whenever you go to dig or build a bed, add a ton of mulch. This combo will be low in nitrate, but if you're willing to fertilize your first year, the next season you'll have much much better soil - the mulch will break down. It's the cheapest way I know of to get large amounts of improved soil. If you live near farmers and they have chicken or horse manure, those would be wonderful soil amendments as well, though you have to make certain that they've aged enough.

Gardening is tricky in that when you go online, people will try to sell you anything, and much advice that people tell you only applies to wherever the author is living. YMMV. I've used coir, but only for houseplants, b/c it's expensive. Sand doesn't hold water, oxygen, or nutrients (unless it's zeolite or something), so it doesn't have much use in clay-based gardening, AFAIK.

[plantyhamchuk]

Oh and one last thing, people talk a lot about double digging. It's a TON of work, and unless you're adding in *lots* of rough organic matter like coarse mulch, it doesn't do anything to improve clay. Clay just recompacts upon itself.

Part of the idea with adding in mulch is that it helps to break up the heavy clay on a structural level. I would recommend mulch over leaf litter due to this, but either will be better than nothing.

[matchynishi]

yeah, that seems logical. And just the single digging of the clay was hell on my back, so I don't think I can double dig even if I want to, lol. I'll see what I can find, and mulch that in. :)

[matchynishi]

Organic matter does seem like the way to go... and if I do raised beds this year, it'll be on a natural slope or grade like virginiadear suggested in an earlier comment. I live in Canada, so drought isn't the main concern so much as all the snowmelt... although granted, this year there's been much less snow than previous years!

I figured out that my soil is mostly alkaline through home-testing with vinegar and baking soda, so at least I know I don't have to add lime. :p I'm doing bokashi composting this year, so the acidic compost-thing that I bury in the ground with the compsot tea and things maybe might help raise the acidity level a bit. *crosses fingers*

I don't think there's anyone close who cuts down trees or farm since I live in the middle of the city. :( But yes, sheet mulching does seem like the way to go for me! Perhaps leave aside the coir too, then...

Thanks for your advice and opinions, they really helped!