Muronivid Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 Dave I have grown on heavy clay soil for more years than you want to know. My advise is this. Do not dig holes and try and enrich the soil within it or sink bottomless pots, both methods act like sumps and the enriched soil will go sour. The best way to deal with clay top soil is to cultivate a big area by digging properly. Like this I have had plants with root systems 3 to 5 ft in diameter on each plant. Clay soil in naturally rich in all nutrients so does not really need base fertilisers. Do not bother digging anything in, if the soil is acid, top dress with dolomite lime. Once the plants are growing mulch the whole area with as much organic matter as you can. So get a fork out and turn the whole area over to cultivate the soil. Then your plants will have no restrictions and they can spread their roots as far as they like. One absolute NO NO is any chicken manure type products, things like Rooster is nearly as good as a weed killer. Hope this helps. I'll be growing next to a little stream this year, and the soil is pretty much clay , heavy clay . The only thing I don't get about your explanation is if the roots spread horizontally or vertically. How many plants would u have for a 13 x 10 ft ?? Just seen Oldtimer around and wanted to pop the topic up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack of Diamonds Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 the native soil at my plot is a dark loam soil, a little on the clay side but i've spiced it up with some bonemeal and farmyard manure. my question is; is this enough nutrients or would i benefit from any other soil conditioners? Jack of Diamonds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archangel Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Sandy Loams the best soil for canna imo dark loam soil Will be great i reckon, id recommend some worm castings as well, full of organic goodness and can never burn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack of Diamonds Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Will be great i reckon, id recommend some worm castings as well, full of organic goodness and can never burn... That's helpful info mate, am i right in thinking you would apply this as a top dressing similar to bonemeal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archangel Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 No mix it in with your soil 10-20%. You can use it as a medium in its own right. You can use it as a top dressing as well or add it your water/liquid fert...Choice is yours... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack of Diamonds Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 Awrite thanks for the help man, appreciated. Jack of Diamonds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whats_luring Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 (edited) So if the soil if acidic and full of stones , i can just dig out a 1mtr sq patch and add with my own compost and mix with the adcid clay ? If so how far down would i have to dig ? Or would growing in 80ltr containers be better ? Edited July 4, 2010 by whats_luring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artificial Emotion Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I'm thinking of using grow bags that you use as makeshift pots since my back hurts at the moment and I can't dig. I was wondering, what's a good irrigation system to use with this? In the organic catalogue recommended to me by Felix I've seen these 'Supa Drippa Taps' that are basically small plastic taps that screw onto the flat side of a plastic bottle e.g. milk bottle and pass water through a clear plastic hose to the plant. The drip rate is adjustable meaning it can be changed to suit the size of the container or the water pressure. Would this work at all? I know it might not as I'm just testing ideas but hopefully someone can tell me what will work without having to waste money. I already have a 'Big Drippa Watering Kit' but although this has 6 adjustable drippers (for a max of 2 of the type of grow bags that garden centre soil sometimes comes in) and a 10.5L reservoir bag it only lasts 24h which is too short a period of time obviously. To make moving all the stuff easier, in addition to using the foldaway grow bags (resusable waterproof fabric pots) I plan to use the fertilized coir bricks you can get and was thinking of using water retaining gel. I could then move the water on a separate occasion. Any hints or tips? Would this work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INFIDEL Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 hey y'all. . . where i come from, some decent grass is a rare luxury of late, as the pigs have a tight grasp over our community. it is a great inconvenience to have to travel to the city every week or two to pick up the necesarry supplies. i have decided the best option would be to start a guerilla grow, seeing as how growing in my garden would inpractical and unsafe, with the police in mind, but the problem is, the wilderness which surrounds my humble town is arid and dry, and doesn't host many variaties of vegetation, except for flora, fauna and a selection of succulents. how can i obtain a successful harvest, outside of the fertile vicinity of my garden? please help, i'm not sure how much longer i can stand this majjat kak weed!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cocogrower Posted November 5, 2010 Share Posted November 5, 2010 (edited) Just spent an hour or so reading this thread ( on iPhone) Some good info, thanks! I am undecided wether to dig say 6 individual holes or a patch about 10x10 ft.. Individual holes sound easier but is this as good as a patch? I will dig 3-4 feet down and if I do dig individual holes each hole will be a out 1 sq meter, I will be doing this next month. Does this sound ok?? Edited November 5, 2010 by Cocogrower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cocogrower Posted November 5, 2010 Share Posted November 5, 2010 Just spent an hour or so reading this thread ( on iPhone) Some good info, thanks!I am undecided wether to dig say 6 individual holes or a patch about 10x10 ft.. Individual holes sound easier but is this as good as a patch? I will dig 3-4 feet down and if I do dig individual holes each hole will be a out 1 sq meter, I will be doing this next month. Does this sound ok?? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballzozaki Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 very interesting thread, definitely going to make some changes, soil conversation question though, whats 50 US gallons of soil in kilos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganjaMan Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 Just spent an hour or so reading this thread ( on iPhone) Some good info, thanks!I am undecided wether to dig say 6 individual holes or a patch about 10x10 ft.. Individual holes sound easier but is this as good as a patch? I will dig 3-4 feet down and if I do dig individual holes each hole will be a out 1 sq meter, I will be doing this next month. Does this sound ok?? hi mate 10 - 12inches deepis enigh for canna nevermind 3 or 4ft . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red_eye Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 hi guys, so my plot consists of really dusty and stony top soil, also when i dig down about a foot i hit clay. really nasty clay. i grew here successfully last year by digging holes and filling them with compost which worked but i want to do a better job this year.. im confused as to what the best way to prep this soil would be. the topsoil is really light in colour and when its dry it crumbles into dust. would that be sandy soil? if anyone knows about or has grown in this sort of soil before id really like to know what you'd suggest. i know its not the greatest but its the best plot i have security wise.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 08 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Hello, When i dig my plot over should i add a fertilizer with with a high content of N and a lower content of P and K? Then when it comes to flowering add a fertilizer with a high content of P and K,by sprinkling it on top of the soil? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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