Flower Gardeners - Compacted soil and......

[BlsdMama]

I have a love/hate relationship with my flower bed.  We moved in this house and there was a big flower bed, front and center, of our house.  It's *meant* to be the eye catching center piece in the landscape, kwim?  It's elevated in a half circle of landscaping bricks, 3' from the ground.  

 

When we moved in, it was a mass of weeds, overgrown boxwood shrubs, and miscellaneous green/brown stuff.

 

We pulled everything out except a rose bush and cut that way back.

 

I have steadily planted perennials in it for two years.  I have about 7-9 big lilies in there, asiatic lilies, pestemon, various ground growers (those are new plants) but nothing is spreading out as it should.  I haven't wanted to mulch the area because I want everything to spread, but the ground is SO compacted that nothing is spreading anyway. :(

 

I don't want to rip out everything I planted this year in order to till and tilling would be a nightmare in a small space anyway.  Even working/digging isn't fun right now as everything is hard.  

 

 

My question:  I am wondering if it just dries out too readily and that's increasing the compaction?  I wonder if I mulch it with wood chips for a couple years if that would improve the soil and soften everything underneath.

 

Frustrated.

 

I have gorgeous soil here.  It's rich, it's black, it's fluffy.  My garden (in ground) is what every person hopes for.  I actually wonder if they put fill dirt in this instead when they made it but it's doubtful.  It doesn't seem like they did anything half way here.  

 

 

Suggestions so welcome.  I would hate to dig this out.  It's huge.  Like really huge - probably 18' across and 10' the other direction as well as up to 3' deep.

[fairfarmhand]

Yes, mulch the heck out of everything. Mulch will not inhibit spreading. It will eventually break down and add lovely fluffiness to the dirt.b And it will keep moisture in the dirt and keep the dirt cooler so it won't bake into bricks. Also you can gently dig around the roots of the perennials and toss in a handfuls of compost or topsoil. That'll help feed the existing plants and help them stay healthy and spread..

[hornblower]

I'd be working lots of compost in. 

Consider adding peat. 

And yes, I think mulching would help keep moisture in and promote beneficial fungi which will also add texture to your soil. I would not till. Gently fork. 

 If it's so large, can you reach in to work it from all sides without walking in there? If not, you'd need wood boards for when you walk in to weed & hoe. 

[MEmama]

I agree--lots of compost and organic mulch, digging it whenever/wherever possible. Just adding to the top will help the rest of the soil break down eventually.

 

And add worms if you can, they are great for naturally tilling the soil and creating passages for water and nutrients to reach the plant roots. Get the kids to collect them after it rains ;) and add in as many as you can.

[Okra]

Compost and Mulch!  When I first started gardening I was worried about mulch too.  But, mulch is your best friend. So, start to love your mulch.  You need to buy mulch that degrades, not rubber mulch or anything like that, and it will also make your soil better while helping keep moisture in.

 

 And, I second the worms.  I know it sounds weird.  But, worms are the most awesome thing ever.  They loosen the soil and they are just all round good.  So, I do not add fertilizers to my garden because usually that kills the worms.  I use compost, halfway decomposed leaf mulch, and wood mulch.

[KungFuPanda]

I wouldn't be afraid to mulch it. I'd also set aside my grass clippings so I could mix them with shredded leaves and mulch it with a thick layer of that in the fall . . . maybe mixed with some peat and coffee grounds. Do you have a garden claw? That's nice if you're doing a little at a time by hand. Also, get some garden stones so ours never walking on the soil. It sounds like they built the garden and just filled it with discarded fill dirt. Do you know anyone with animals who has an aged manure pile you can pillage?

[BlsdMama]

I have peat on hand and I have aged chicken manure with straw.  I can work both in but I'm wondering how.............

 

It's filled with plants and it's pretty much full- kwim?  

 

I wonder if I should work a little in right now on the top layer, mulch, and then in the spring before anything comes up - till?  Remove dirt and work in more then mulch again?

[Laura Corin]

I have peat on hand and I have aged chicken manure with straw.  I can work both in but I'm wondering how.............

 

It's filled with plants and it's pretty much full- kwim?  

 

I wonder if I should work a little in right now on the top layer, mulch, and then in the spring before anything comes up - till?  Remove dirt and work in more then mulch again?

 

I'd just keep putting as much organic matter on top as you can and let the worms do their work.

 

[KungFuPanda]

I'd keep adding to the top and just be patient. Maybe bury some sticks from the yard in there if you have space. Soil on top of rotting wood helps keep things nice and loose. I'd be afraid tilling would kill my plants if it's loaded with perennials. Removing plants to pots, tilling in organic matter, and replacing them would work, but I'm too lazy for that. Of course, if you paid someone to do it you could solve the problem in a day.

 

I just add stuff to the top since my perennial beds are close enough to burried power lines that I'd have to call and get it marked.

Edited July 4, 2016 by KungFuPanda

[hornblower]

I'd just fork in between the plants. Straight up & down, with a little wiggle, just to loosen things up. Add your compost & peat, gently work with a claw cultivator. I'd just try doing that weekly for the summer. Make sure you don't let it dry out so you don't hurt your worms. 

[BlsdMama]

I think I'm being lazy.  

 

Sigh.

 

Thought on this off and on the last two days.  I think I need to just suck it up and do it right.  The plants aren't terribly old so they don't have a great root system. I figure I could pull up half, load out 6" of dirt loosen what's underneath, put in good soil, half rotted wood mulch, compost, and peat with manure, then top with 1-2" of good soil, plant again, and then mulch.

 

If I do it half way, I'm just going to be mad next year when it's not awesome and I choose to dig it up with more established plants.  Don't you think? 

 

So frustrating for me.....  But, I hate when I do things half way and then make twice as much work later.

 

 

Don't you think I'd be much happier to dig out a bunch and do it that way?  I can't imagine it would take me more than a week of my morning work and I'm pretty much on top of the garden finally.

[BlsdMama]

BTW, thank you all so much for the help and for the suggestions.  It's incredibly helpful.  I haven't bothered with "decoration" plants in years and years... or really ever.  They are a source of joy and frustration to me.

[livetoread]

You probably aren't going to want to hear this, but here's my tale of woe. I have battled the compacted clay soil in a few of my garden beds for years. Every year in the fall I add shredded leaves, and every spring I put compost and hardwood mulch on top. Every year it seems to work for about a month or so, and then the organic matter breaks down, disappears, and I'm back to cracked clay. These are even raised beds, but I made the mistake of using the original clay soil and just mixing it with organic stuff. The beautiful soil never lasts and I'm sick and tired of fighting it. I have tons of worms, but they make quick work of the organic stuff and leave hard clay with tunnels which really doesn't help much. I have tilled and not tilled; I have forked and lasagned, and I've tried it all for sixteen years. Enough is enough.

 

I'm going to put in new raised beds in another location, and I'm starting with good topsoil that I will buy and then amend as needed. I know everyone says you can change compacted clay soil into good stuff, but in my experience it's temporary. You are always having to add much more organic stuff, god forbid you miss a season, and even then it's a losing battle. I would much rather start with loose soil and then I can amend much more lightly as needed.

 

I should add that these are vegetable beds I'm talking about. Some of my perennial beds are decent soil and some are the rotten clay too, but with those, I just grow clay-loving perennials and mulch every year. They either make it or not.

 

So yes, if I were you, I'd bite the bullet, dig out as much of the soil as you can, and replace it. Sorry!

[BlsdMama]

Definitely don't be sorry. I appreciate the honesty. I think I would rather do it now than wait until I'm digging up established plants, kwim? There is the dilemma. Sigh. Man, it's supposed to be hot next week.

 

If I just do half each week it won't be so bad..... Right?

[KungFuPanda]

I don't see why you can't do a small section at a time. Pick a manageable section, dig up the plants, loosen, amend, bury some yard debris sticks (so they'll break down and contribute over time), replace the plants, and mulch. You could lose a plant or two, but I'm guessing most would be happier and thrive in the new digs (ha ha . . . see what I did there?). They won't be out of the ground long enough to worry about potting. If you do 25 sq ft a day you'll be done in a week and you can work around the rose bush to save it.

[fairfarmhand]

Is it urgent that you do this now?

 

Can you wait till fall?

 

Most perennials will prefer this upheaval to occur when the weather's a bit cooler. What's 6 weeks you know?

[BlsdMama]

Is it urgent that you do this now?

 

Can you wait till fall?

 

Most perennials will prefer this upheaval to occur when the weather's a bit cooler. What's 6 weeks you know?

 

 

How can I have an excuse to not school plan if I put this off?  I'm running out of excuses.  This seemed handy.

 

:D

 

 

No, you're right.  We're about to hit a 90+ degree week.  

 

I know you're right.  It's good sense.  But, in all honesty, I really DO want an excuse to put off school planning, lol.

( I'm a little afraid taking on a big project will sabotage September school.  Hm.  We are pouring concrete the first week of September for the patios.  Maybe I should plan school to start mid July and then do six weeks of school and then a fhree week break in September.)

[fairfarmhand]

How can I have an excuse to not school plan if I put this off?  I'm running out of excuses.  This seemed handy.

 

:D

 

 

No, you're right.  We're about to hit a 90+ degree week.  

 

I know you're right.  It's good sense.  But, in all honesty, I really DO want an excuse to put off school planning, lol.

( I'm a little afraid taking on a big project will sabotage September school.  Hm.  We are pouring concrete the first week of September for the patios.  Maybe I should plan school to start mid July and then do six weeks of school and then a fhree week break in September.)

 

I think your plants will like it better if you do that...