I have a small backyard and the only topsoil we have is that which I have bought. The rest of the land consists of mud and clay. Last year I had a problem with my jalapenos and I think what was causing it was poor drainage. Any suggestions on a cheap or free method to improve drainage on lets say 16x12 ft patch? Thanks everyone!
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drainage
- Thread starter TheOther-One1
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juanitos said:
Hey Jon, how does powered Dolomite Lime and Gypsum aid drainage? I've never understood how adding sand to potting media aids drainage either.
Gypsum will loosen clay soils and wont alter pH much. Better to use if for that purpose than using garden lime. Good compost and aged pine fines are top choices to "condition" soil. Products labeled as "soil conditioner" are sometimes nothing more than composted pine bark fines. Stuff works great too. Alfalfa meal is also great organic matter to add to crappy soil. A 50lb bag is under $20 at farm and feed stores. Very good slow release nutrient.
See if you can find this brand locally and i would probably get a little peat moss also. Adjust pH as needed with dolomite lime or use gypsum if the pH is ok.
https://www.timberlineyard.com/pr_soil_conditioner.htm
See if you can find this brand locally and i would probably get a little peat moss also. Adjust pH as needed with dolomite lime or use gypsum if the pH is ok.
https://www.timberlineyard.com/pr_soil_conditioner.htm
TheOther-One1 said:
So this is what I do for all my garden beds and I have found it particularly useful in the heavy clay soils here in the Piedmont.
After breaking up the soil as much as possible I go in, line-up my beds and dig furrows between them. Personally I like to go with a 2.5ft -3ft wide bed and furrow. I don't dig down much, only 6-8 inches and pile it on top of the adjacent bed. Then I go back and add any amendments directly to the bed and rake everything level. The more organic matter here the better, but sometimes that can take years to achieve and the furrows do a great job of helping the beds drain and keeping the peppers roots dry with minimal compost.
By now, I've got a nice little hill to plant in and can be much less worried about it getting swamped out. After digging out my beds I usually go ahead and add my drip tape for irrigation and when growing peppers my landscape fabric to help control weeds, though those are really optional and dependent on the scale of your operation.
The furrows in clay really act like channels moving the water away from the beds rather quickly. In only the most extreme cases has this not worked for me. Even when water gets piled up at the lowest points, the bed will sit like an island and your plants will have at least some root zone oxygen. If things are constantly getting piled up at your low spots and swamping your beds, you could always dig in a French drain at the low edge of your garden to carry it away. to another spot in the yard.
thats what i was going to suggest, find the lowest corner and dig a trench away from the garden.PepperFish said:
So this is what I do for all my garden beds and I have found it particularly useful in the heavy clay soils here in the Piedmont.
After breaking up the soil as much as possible I go in, line-up my beds and dig furrows between them. Personally I like to go with a 2.5ft -3ft wide bed and furrow. I don't dig down much, only 6-8 inches and pile it on top of the adjacent bed. Then I go back and add any amendments directly to the bed and rake everything level. The more organic matter here the better, but sometimes that can take years to achieve and the furrows do a great job of helping the beds drain and keeping the peppers roots dry with minimal compost.
By now, I've got a nice little hill to plant in and can be much less worried about it getting swamped out. After digging out my beds I usually go ahead and add my drip tape for irrigation and when growing peppers my landscape fabric to help control weeds, though those are really optional and dependent on the scale of your operation.
The furrows in clay really act like channels moving the water away from the beds rather quickly. In only the most extreme cases has this not worked for me. Even when water gets piled up at the lowest points, the bed will sit like an island and your plants will have at least some root zone oxygen. If things are constantly getting piled up at your low spots and swamping your beds, you could always dig in a French drain at the low edge of your garden to carry it away. to another spot in the yard.
Thanks, that might be a good idea, I have since posting bought a large amount of soil and mixed it in with mine, so if that doesn't work, this will be my next move.luvmesump3pp3rz said: