Inheriting a clay garden for veggies

kevn357 · February 22, 2013

Long story here or short story below

[So my dad is handing over his very large garden to me this year. He lives in Parma, OH and it is a very clay garden. My gardening experience is 5 years of container gardening in the San Diego inland desert and one year in the Parma area last year in a small area with 8 tomato plants, some cucurbits and beans in growbeds with a soil-less mix (peat, perlite, pine bark fines.) It was very productive...

He loved it and wants me to "fix" his garden. I know nothing about clay and only containers.]

short story

[My dad wants we to fix his large clay garden and I know nothing about clay since I'm a container gardener.]

Grow beds aren't an option here with costs.
I have from now until May to make it better. Biggest concerns;

1.Drainage, it has none. A wet spring will kill it for weeks.
2.Fertilizing, I used a lot in my containers and grow beds and I've read clay is a different monster that holds it in.
3.PH levels. I know I need to add a lot of organic material but I'm worried about making the clay more alkaline and adding more npk to the clay.

Thanks for any help!

February 22, 2013	#1
kevn357 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Parma, OH Posts: 147	Inheriting a clay garden for veggies Long story here or short story below [So my dad is handing over his very large garden to me this year. He lives in Parma, OH and it is a very clay garden. My gardening experience is 5 years of container gardening in the San Diego inland desert and one year in the Parma area last year in a small area with 8 tomato plants, some cucurbits and beans in growbeds with a soil-less mix (peat, perlite, pine bark fines.) It was very productive... He loved it and wants me to "fix" his garden. I know nothing about clay and only containers.] short story [My dad wants we to fix his large clay garden and I know nothing about clay since I'm a container gardener.] Grow beds aren't an option here with costs. I have from now until May to make it better. Biggest concerns; 1.Drainage, it has none. A wet spring will kill it for weeks. 2.Fertilizing, I used a lot in my containers and grow beds and I've read clay is a different monster that holds it in. 3.PH levels. I know I need to add a lot of organic material but I'm worried about making the clay more alkaline and adding more npk to the clay. Thanks for any help!