Sounds like you have a good place to locate a compost pile, TKH! If you start now, you could have that soil amended by next years planting season!

Weezie! I said COMPOST! Can you give TKH some help there?

Dianna

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I've read that there's a point where as clay dries (between too wet and too dry) that it becomes easier to work. Try digging again in a day or 2. If you have more patience, you could plant something like clover or rye grass. The roots would help break up the clay.

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Terry

May the force be with you

Ya know, I'm in WV, and we have nothing but clay here too. That, and an abundance of rocks.

I find that I can dig a WHOLE LOT easier, after it's been a good soaking rain for awhile. Not just a fast & furious rain, but a long soaking rain. Or, if you have a water pipe break under ground, it's all mud, that just sloshes out. But, I wouldn't really recommend that.

Last summer, it took me HOURS to dig a shovel width trench, about 8' long. A while later, it had rained good.. and I went to dig another trench, about 6' long, and 3' deep.. and I whipped out that trench in like 30 minutes.

Meg

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!

I've never heard about "open all". I've used gypsum before but I think it's best to till it into the soil. Don't know how well it would work if that's not possible.

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Terry

May the force be with you

Hey Weezie,

COMPOST lol

I'm not very good at descriptions but here goes. The weed patch is between our parking lot and a side street. The parking lot is about 12 feet lower than the street above. The height difference is dealt with by the steep slope of the weed patch and at the foot of that a 3' retaining wall. The tree is actually comming up on the parking lot side right through the blacktop.

Hum that's an interesting thought. You think the clay maybe what is holding it all together? So maybe it would fall down if I amended the soil?

Now I am completely at a lost as to what to do. I guess it is an indoor container garden for me. I could make some kind of a solarium out of my dinningroom. Going to have to start a new thread for that I guess.

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TKH, don't give up! Put you a planter out there. Just make sure to keep it watered.

Dianna

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Containers outside are a great idea except they need to be the giagantic kind my landlord has or people walk off with them. The landlord and I discussed that when I moved in. Unfortunately I don't have the money for that kind of thing. But the landlord came out to the "garden" today and was suprised by how much I had managed to plow up. We decided that if I stayed on the farther side of the tree and terrace I should be ok. Mainly just leave the clay alone for several feet from the wall.

Tires and kiddy pools would be great except for the slope, they would never stay in place lol. Make a great roller coaster though.

So this morning I dug down to the clay farther up the slope and removed the top soil and weeds. Then added more clay from another spot not near the wall until I was about 12 inches above the lower level. Made that slant slightly down towards the hill so it will hold the soil and then put the top soil back. I broke my spade the other day so I'll just continue terracing until payday when I can get a new one then I'll mix the top soil with the bone meal and compost and be ready to try planting again.

Your so right Weezie, can't quit now.

I just have to remember to leave enough space on each level for a pathway so I can weed, seed & feed.

It gave me hope that the marigolds I planted in the landlords big container are starting to sprout. Now as long as the smokers waiting for the buses don't kill them all with the cigarette butts, they at least might make it. I hold out no hope for the nostramus I planted in that container. It has been raining for a week.

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That would be the Red Velvet Celosia. I think it got way to cold and way to wet for these little darlings. Unfortunately I've learned that they don't do well if transplanted so I tried sowing them straight into the garden but I was too early.

The moss roses portaluca also got way to wet, I killed one pot of them inside by overwatering and outside has been a flood.

The carnations wouldn't come up until next year anyway (is that right) but I wouldn't be suprised if the seeds rotted in all that rain.

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TK,
Are you using a seed starting mix to start your seeds???
*We should start this on another thread for the seeds.. and dirt?? but just curious???*

Weezie

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

TKH,

Have you heard about "Lasagna Gardening"? It was posted by Laurelann in this Forum. See links below:

Lasagna Gardening 1

Lasagna Gardening 2

Lasagna Gardening 3

Lasagna Gardening in the Shade

Many more articles are available on this subject, just Google search for Lasagna Gardening.

The other way you can build up the soil is to use "green manure". These are plants [ Snap beans, Peas, Buckwheat, etc.] that are grown to cover the area and are later tilled or spaded into the soil.

Container Gardening is a favorite subject, and as Weezie said, I do almost all of my gardening in containers because of space limitations. At the moment, I can think of nothing else to add from what Weezie already covered.

If you don't want your containers [ pots] to walk away, maybe you should consider using a raised bed [for gardening] and do it the Lasagna gardening way.

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Amor est vitae essentia.
Love is the essence of life.