New garden bed preparation & problem

[Lee]

Since moving this past winter, I've been slowly preparing
the new garden beds. I got one completed in time for using
this season, and am now working on a second one.

For the second one, I have removed all the sod and began
digging down as deep as possible to prepare the soil.
The minute layer of topsoil (from the sod) quickly gave way
to a powdery rock like layer and then a dense red clay. I
plan to get rid of most of this and replace with good top
soil, compost, leaves, etc...

However, last night we got a thunderstorm that dumped about
an inch of rain. When I went to look at the hole I had dug,
it was full of water from the rain. Needless to say, the
clay is acting like a pot and not allowing very good drainage.

So I figure I have a couple of options:

1. Dig deeper and hope the water drains down out of the root zone.
2. Keep as much of the clay to mix in with the top soil as
possible to minimize the bowl effect.

Have any others encountered this problem and sucessfully
solved it?
What are some other good options I could try.

This area is on a slope, so there might be a possible solution there....



Thanks,

Lee

[bryanccfshr]

This is what I would do. You can always go up but you don't need to go way up.
I would build 6 inch raised bed permanent rows.
I would add gypsum and compost to the native soil and till it shallow to build a transitional layer.
I would use 6 inch boards in whatever pattern you need. 3' x14'(Or whatever length fits your needs) makes an excellent tomato row. Leave walking rows between. and don't bother with this soil, just mulch it add gravel or something to make a nice walking path.
Add a good 3 way mix or something with compost, sandy loam and mineral rock to the bed filling the 6" bed to within an inch of the top(Leave some space for adding top layers of compost and mulch)

Throw some Chick peas,( black eyed, Mung etc) in there and get them growing densely for the rest of the summer. (There roots will aerate and add organic matter to the new bed.)
In the fall You may want to scythe or weed eat the mung beans down (don't till or uproot yet) and plant some daikon radishes or a kile crop). When not growing keep the soil slightly moist and covered with straw or compost.

By next tomato season you can do a prep tilling(if you want I did not see much difference between the tilled beds and the non tilled ones as far as performance goes) and start your tomato crop.

This is pretty much how I started my beds (Although I used 4' wide beds and wish I had used 3' width) in my sloping hard clay yard.


The attached pictures show the progression of my year old beds.

[feldon30]

3. Raised beds.

[tuk50]

Raised beds worked for me, it took a couple of years of adding massive amounts pecan hulls, horse manure, Christmas tree mulch and straw along with cover crops of buckwheat, peas ... all just in time to move and start all over again in sand this time... LOL.. 8)

[caascher2]

Lee...I think raised beds are the way to go. You will be able to get the soil the way you want it to be in order to grow veggies. I also have clay soil in my yard. I didn't even dig up the plot, just put the wood down, covered the grass with cardboard and newspapers and filled it with soil and compost. This past fall I grew clover in 2 of my beds and dug it under several weeks before planting as an experiment. I see lots of worms now and have no weeds to contend with.

[Lee]

Well, here's the final hole and what I have to move into today. Wish me luck!

Lee

[Lee]

And now the final product. Combination removal of clay and raised bed.

I think the sheer volume of added soil and leftover native soil will keep it from
getting water logged, as long as no 20" huricane comes through.

Lee

[bryanccfshr]

Nice work on the retaining wall . That will make a nice bed.

[Sherry_AK]

It looks very nice. I imagine moving the dirt was the easy part, compared to putting up the wall!

[Lee]

Actually, the wall was the easiest part... once you get the foundation blocks
level and straight..... Digging and moving clay and then the topsoil in was
back breaking. Not an easy task when you're out of shape!

Lee