Preparing soil for garden

Compost. If your community collects yard waste, then there is likely a compost facility that either sells or gives the stuff away. It's great for loosening up clay and adds that needed organic matter to promote good drainage.

Cow manure is a compost - with kick. It stinks for a few days, but it is cheap and works miracles.

Cool,
I called this gardening center where the people are very helpful, making novices like me feel comfortable asking questions.

They sell compost, I think I'll go drop by there, have some other question anywho.

Ack...

I almost forgot


if you find a wierd bottle of fish stuff on your porch some time this week, its from me.

it smells to high hell, but it will make your soil wonderful for flowers and colored plants.


when i remember.. i will swing it by..

That fish stuff works but gawd is it ever hard (and smelly) to use. For fertilizer (the cow manure doesn't last very long as one), use a time release type that lasts two or three months. I like Scotts because it's cheap.

ohhhh you are NOT lying. I hate that smell.

but the good thing is that I can use it weekly.

here in an apt, when all I have is a balcony, I cant use cow manure or my neighbors would kill me.
But the .. ( I cant remember the name) fish mixture, I just add about 2 tablespoons to my watering pot and it works wonders.

I dunno -- osso and others can probably offer good advice -- but I'd be concerned if absolutely nothing is growing there now. That much sterility can't bode well.

Compost is definitely called for, and mulch. Consider calling tree-trimming companies for the mulch. Around here, because they have to pay to dump their waste, they're willing to give it away to anyone who asks.

In my former garden, the clay soil seemed to eat whatever amendment I dug into it. After a year or two, it would be back to hard-baked clay. For a bed about the size you're considering, I had good luck with digging (although clay is a bitch to dig) down about 18", lining the hole with a cheap plastic tarp (punctured for drainage) and then filling in with good loam and topping with mulch. The tarp retained a lot of moisture (so I didn't have to water much), stopped the clay from absorbing the good soil and stopped any deep-rooted weeds from coming up. But then again, 18" might not be deep enough for the roots of the plants you're planning.

No smelly fish stuff for me thanks, but your welcome to come over anyway.

Had a very productive afternoon.

Went by this one place that is locally owned and the people are very knowledgeable and nice.

I told them my story and they figured how much compost, and cow manure to get (6 of compost, 2 of manure) they were very familiar with the soil where I live, and said that should do the trick. Also, they argreed I should add sand for better drainage. They also deliver for free. All that won't cost more than fifty bucks.

They didn't have any crepe myrtles, so I stop down the road at this other place that is also a local business. They had a really nice variety, and gave me a list of the various types and what colors they come in as well as their grown height and width. I want one of the varieties that forms a ball shape, as opposed to some that don't spread much at all.

A really good size one that was very healthy looking was about $100.

Even though it might cost a few dollars more, it would be worth it knowing it got a good start.

Well, can't do anything about any of this anyway until it stops raining every day, so the patio can be poured, but I'm feeling pretty good about all this.

I know doing all this planting isn't idea in the middle of summer, but, it is what it is.

Oh, also, I'm going to be creating a little path winding through all this, maybe a foot wide or 18 inches wide, covered with white gravel, so I can walk amongst the plants to care for them.

It's not a very big piece of ground, but if done on the right scale, it can be a really pretty little garden.

I really feel I have an advantage, starting from scratch like this, don't have to work around existing stuff I might not like, but is too big too move.

Like that horrible sycamore I had to look at for years. God, I hated that damn thing and I'm glad it's gone.

Sounds great, chai. I'm sure you'll enjoy it when it's done.

If youre in the hills then youve got a hardpan at 2-3 feet. Youve gotta improve drainage first. You can add all the compost and fish **** you want and itll just decay and be sterile. As the nutrients turn to salts. You need a soil test before you add manures and stuff.
1 work on its drainage by deep tilling and adding sand . Then plant some rye grass and let it go till next year. The rye roots will go down deep and bvreak up the clay and then youll have better drainage.

2 Then get your compost and more sand and till it all in there.

yer tmaters will be big as beachballs, and full of flavor. Your pumpkins will fall from the tree. and your strawberries will come in by the short ton.

I ain't plantin maters and berries.

But I shore aim to be adding a mess of sand.

This here is fixin' ta be a flare garden.

If mildew is a problem for crape myrtles in your area, pick a mildew resistant variety (usually the hybrids lf L. indica and L. faurei).

If you have hard pan, consider listening to farmerman.

good advice farmer and osso...but there isn't hardpan.

My neighbor is building a house right next door to us, and dug a basement (stupid idea for here, but that's a different story). Anyway, they never hit rock or hardpan.

As far as being mildew resistant, yeah, I'm trying to pick one with that attribute.

coffee grounds and well-cleaned egg shells can go right into the soil, other organic material needs to be well composted (decayed). Perilight (hmm... how is it spelled?) adds a little lightness.

ah, perlite

huh, I didn't know coffee grounds and egg shells could go right in.

I've started a (small) compost heap with vegetable and fruit cuttings, coffee grounds, egg shells, old bread...but of course there's not much yet.

I'll start saving just the grounds and eggs shells to through in there when I'm ready...I'll also get some perlite, I've heard of that.

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and help.

Water the garden bed site before you add compost and mulch. Watch where the water runs to. That is your drainage line. If necessary modify your drainage lines to suit your property by digging small trenches away from the garden bed and filling with sand. If you are going to dig down into the clay soil you will essentialy be creating a "pot" Stagnant water ater will lay in the bottom of the "pot" creating a poor environment for plants.

Build your garden bed up above the level of the surrounding natural soil level by adding compost and cow manure mixing it thoroughly with the clay soil.
You could also consider buying a load of topsoil.

It may take some years to create a good garden bed soil so be prepared to remove plants and dig the bed over next year and the year after as well or at least around existing plants adding more compost and manure. Autumn leave and grass clippings from mowing the lawn are also good mulches just spread them out (especially the grass clippings) into thin layers.

Post a pics as you work so we can slag your efforts and tell you where you are wrong and how to do it much much better.

"Hard pan" means any impervious clay layer that water doesn't move through which from your description is what you have. If this was in OZ I would also be suspecting salinity but I'm not sure if salinity is a problem for you.

Consider importing Earthworms who can turn uncomposted kitchen waste into soil very quickly.

Check out:

http://netdancer.com/web-templates/kidsgardening/earthworms.html

http://www.wormswrangler.com/?gclid=CN2N5sD78owCFSbUgAodm2uDBw

When you're resting from doing garden work, check out Neil Sperry, website of the famed garden guru for Texas. Might learn something there.

Almost sounds like you're working gold ole Blackland Prairie gumbo, aka Elevator Mud... the farther you walk in it the taller you grow. No bottom to it, and homes built on it frequently experience foundation heaving as the soil contracts and expands due to alternating drouth-rain weather conditions. I hope that's not the case there.

Happy gardening & good luck....