Garden tips - making clay soil work for you!

Clay can be a gardener's nightmare but it can also very, very useful. Here are some tips on making clay work for you.
#clay #claysoil #gardenideas #landscaping #sustainability #homeharvest #gardenhacks #fruittree

[@servihomestead4324]

Wow! Simple, helpful, and clear. Thanks for sharing.

[@AdamHWoodhams]

My pleasure @ SERVi! Glad it was helpful!

[@engfeiyin]

But, our suburban lot has about 5m to the fenceline and water still won't drain despite agi pipes been put in which appeared that the rain water wasn't even getting to the drainage systems. So even if you build mounds, other parts are still going to be water logged.

[@AdamHWoodhams]

Hard to say much without knowing your particular situation @FEI. Just a few basics with drainage though... - There has to be free-draining material above the drainage pipes. If clay is put back above the pipes then it may be that water simply can't penetrate. Not fast enough to make a difference anyway. Slotted drains don't just catch water that's flowing down into the soil, they also collect water as the water table rises but... that is still reliant on my points below... - Any drainage has to have adequate fall towards the area of output. A good figure to work to for landscape drains is a minimum of 10mm (1cm) of fall for every 1000mm (1m) pipe length, with 20mm (2cm) for every 1000mm (1m) being a better option. If your drain doesn't have a fall somewhere in this area then it won't drain properly. - Output to... the water has to be sent somewhere where it can actually discharge completely so either to an area of the garden that is safe and responsible to do so (it is illegal to drain to or direct water towards an adjoining property) or into a drainage sump which is connected to stormwater system or one sort or another. - Volume... assuming your pipes have the right fall, that they are discharging clearly etc. etc. does the system installed have the capacity to move the amount of water you receive? If there are just a couple of 100mm ag pipes below ground in a yard then that's never going to be adequate to remove all of the water from heavy rain or extended wet periods. "So even if you build mounds, other parts are still going to be water logged." We have mounds and raised beds for a lot of our planting for exactly that reason. We do not have anywhere to drain water to as our block is nearly flat & we are not connected to a stormwater system. As I build more of our landscape I'll be building a 'dry creek bed' feature that will in-fact serve as a huge drain when we get lots of rain. I'll be running this to a very large pond.

[@engfeiyin]

@@AdamHWoodhams thank you so much for taking time to respond. Much appreciated. Yes, the tradie did the fall and directed to a sump which then was connected to the stormwater system but the mistake was he dumped back the clay soil!. After a few days of heavy rain, there didn't appear to have much water going into the sump. I'm digging a couple of meter wide x 600mm deep 'wells' and monitoring the drainage through these. Would be in anticipation in the coming days of forecasted continuous rain. Thinking of filling up to half with mulch and topping with volcanic rocks (drainage rocks) and topping with bigger tuscan as a feature (had heaps from helping someone dig up their garden) Hopefully, with the layer of mulch, the volcanic rocks doesn't get locked together with mud! Will let it go for a couple of months to observe the drainage. The idea of 'dry creek bed' seems like an option if the dugged holes proved adequate to drain off the water.👍

[@AdamHWoodhams]

Hi again FEI, creating extra sumps like that is a good idea. It's a variation on what's called a French or rubble drain. Only one comment though... I wouldn't be filling it with mulch as mulch will break down and clog your drains. Use a drainage gravel, at least 20mm in size, and then cover this with a layer of 'filter fabric' (drainage fabric) and then put ornamental mulch on top of this. A dry creek bed is an excellent way to go. I've used them in garden before where during dry periods they are a feature & then during rain they actually flow with & channel water.

[@engfeiyin]

@@AdamHWoodhams Thank you so much. 👍

[@pencilme1n]

Better to use it to make pottery

[@vtbn53]

Holy cow, probably the most useful gardening video I have come across and I missed it somehow, would this also work in raised garden beds? i can't see why it wouldn't, this could be the breakthrough I have been hoping and praying for = how does 1/3rd clay, 1/3rd compost, and 1/3rd mulch (e.g. wood chip) sound?

[@AdamHWoodhams]

Hi Percy. Tricky question. Is it solid clay or fragmented through soil? Adding the compost is a great idea as long as its well broken down. Wood chip not so much as this can lead to fungal problems as it decays underground. Maybe clay-based soil, compost and coarse, washed sand to make sure you do have some structural drainage. I'd then add some gypsum (clay breaker) for good measure as this will prevent things getting too gluggy.

[@vtbn53]

@@AdamHWoodhams Basically solid clay

[@CoolKoon]

"Clay can be a gardener's nightmare" - lol, there are parts of the world where that's pretty much (that and loamy soil that is) the only thing that farmers have to work with.

[@AdamHWoodhams]

Agree, most gardeners however dream of that perfect loam & don't know how to work with clay when they hit it. An important part of this was the saving on waste. During our construction we've managed to reuse all spoil on site.