Quickest way to build soil in a large garden

[Michael]

I have been trying to build soil in a fairly large garden space (45 x 65) for a few years. I have been adding leaves (never seem to get enough). I have been growing winter wheat as a cover crop each fall. I have been adding Earthright and watering it in. Basic soil is mostly clay. Things are getting better, but slow. One man recommended I try planting turnips next fall. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Michael

I have been trying to build soil in a fairly large garden space (45 x 65) for a few years. I have been adding leaves (never seem to get enough). I have been growing winter wheat as a cover crop each fall. I have been adding Earthright and watering it in. Basic soil is mostly clay. Things are getting better, but slow. One man recommended I try planting turnips next fall. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Grass clippings. Just keep piling them on all summer around your plants.

The idea is to minimize the time any soil is bare.

If you ever do have bare soil I recommend a paper layer first then grass clippings over that. Sometimes you can "feed the worms" by sprinkling a little cracked corn and coffee grounds lightly on the soil before laying the paper and mulch.

I never till. (or almost never) To me that is a step backwards in most cases, at least for soil improvement. Let your worms do the tilling for you. Their holes make a structure that lets the soil breath, but that doesn't collapse at the first sign of rain. A garden fork or broad fork can be used to break up deep heavy clays.

I also don't till in cover crops. I mow them. Use the green tops for mulch and let the roots decay in place to form channels in the soil.

Isle ways and walk ways between crops should never be bare dirt. Either grow a cover and keep it mowed or a thick mulch. So you don't compact the soil while walking or working in the garden.

Chickens can be a help if controlled precisely with fencing or a "chicken tractor"
They will scratch and "till" the top layer of dirt without compacting the soil. They also will peck at weed seeds and bugs. A good way to scuff the top of the soil without destroying the structure underneath. But just a day or two. Then rake it smooth and seed directly a few days or a week later....then get a mulch on it quick as possible. (once the sprouts get big enough)

Manure is your friend, but use it wisely. Give it time to decompose either on your garden or in a compost pile.

Just a few tips. There are as many ways to improve soil as there are soil types.

[greentiger87]

Completely second everything Redbaron said.

Research cover crops that work well in clay. Winter Ryegrass (with some hairy vetch) worked well for me. Daikon radish and forage radishes are amazing for clay. I ate very few of the actual radishes, just cut off the tops for greens and allowed the roots to decay. I mow (actually weedwhack) ryegrass and plant right into it. Cowpeas and buckwheat worked great in the summer.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by greentiger87

Completely second everything Redbaron said.

Research cover crops that work well in clay. Winter Ryegrass (with some hairy vetch) worked well for me. Daikon radish and forage radishes are amazing for clay. I ate very few of the actual radishes, just cut off the tops for greens and allowed the roots to decay. I mow (actually weedwhack) ryegrass and plant right into it. Cowpeas and buckwheat worked great in the summer.

I actually have good luck with beets. The normal red ones with red leaves. I plant them too thick and when I "thin" them, I cut the tops off and eat the tops so they die and their roots rot in place. They taste similar to swiss chard when young. Supposedly the tap roots bring up loads of magnesium and other minerals and make it bioavailable. Supposedly making tomatoes and peppers grown there the following year more tasty and nutritious. I cant confirm that, but I can confirm hot peppers grown the next year in that spot are hotter!

I can also confirm worms love the decaying leaves under the larger beets left to grow all summer. But I love beets too, so I do eat the full size beets.

[Michael]

Thank you all for the help. Sounds like some great ideas.

[Tracydr]

Lots of horse manure and cover crops.

[delltraveller]

I try to use as much of my kitchen refuse as I can to mix into the clay soil in my non-raised bed. I also mix in the spent potting soil from my container growing. For winter, I dig some holes or trenches to drop the peelings, etc, in, and use soil from containers to layer in.

[zeroma]

I'm loving all the help here. I've gardened, mostly flowers for years, now 'crops'. Thanks a lot.

[MikeInOhio]

I agree with Redbaron's recommendations. I would also like to add that I use a tarp to gather as many leaves as I can in the fall, place them in the garden area, and then run the mower over them a few times. I find that 12"-18" of leaves really seems to do the trick.

You may also want to add some vermiculite to your soil when you transplant. After a few seasons you should see an improvement in your soil. Many large gardening stores sell the 3 or 4 cubic foot bags for around $20.

[Hotwired]

I too have clay soil and have had to build soil. Have you looked into Municipal Compost. We have free compost from the County that you can pick up or they will deliver a dump truck load for $40. http://imageshack.us/a/img801/6600/162af.jpg They are very selective about what goes into the Compost vs Mulch pile. I'd check it out and look at the quality of the compost before taking it, since if it is not cooked properly, it could cause problems. I order it in the Fall, cover it and let it freeze for adding to the garden in the Spring.

[clkeiper]

Many stables can't get rid of the manure. Call around and take advantage of the free pile. If you get them in the Fall no problem whether they are green or composted. If you get them in the spring make sure they are composted and not green. Use it liberally.

Rabbits are an excellent addition to your "backyard". No smell to speak of and you don't have to play with them or socialize them just don't keep unknown sexes in the same cage....you will get a whole new view of "multiplying like rabbits" Otherwise they are cheap to feed and provide an abundance of ready to use manure. I have 3 bucks in a cage and they provide me with a 5 gal buckets worth every few weeks. Or you can place their cage directly over/in your garden and move it weekly, letting the manure fall freely on the garden.