ganga gurl420
Well-Known Member
If you have thick clay like I do but you want to grow in ground I thought I would show how I can manage.
Now most would say just grow in smart pots...well this isnt good either in my area when we get so much rain in the spring that water is standing on the ground. Ive got root rot from that too.
So in short this works for me....
BEFORE YOU START FILLING YOUR HOLES, TAKE A BUCKET AND SCOOP OUT ANY STANDING WATER.
Step 1. After your ideal hole is dug fill soil level with ground.
step 2.... before you lay down your root ball, place an additional 4-5 inches thick of soil in the middle of hole so that the middle is raised.
Step 3. When I transplant I like my soil pretty dry so it does not FALL apart. I pull out the root ball intact and place it in middle of the mound. I then surround the roots with soil. It looks somewhat like a giant ant hill.
Now I put around 50 gallons of soil around my roots so that it has room to grow but the roots are not digging into the the "soupy soil" under the plant.
step 4. If you are dealing with a lot of rain you need to check your plants every day for signs of water stress. You do not want to get root rot so try to catch it before it happens. This would be a good sign that the roots are now entering the soup
Leaves are starting to canoe.
SO IF YOU SEE THIS THERE IS A WAY TO FIX IT AND SAVE YOUR BABY.
step 5.... dig a small hole in the corner of your soil. Place soil on your mound. Make hole just big enough to get a large cup or a gallon jug like I use into the hole to scoop out the water. You will have to repeat this step several times a day for a few days. But hey it works. You can also save the water in barrels if you want to make tea.
step 6. When the weather gets warmer and the ground starts to dry out you can then add as much soil as you desire to your mound.
The most interesting thing ive learned about this is the roots will go to the edge of the mound and then dig itself back in so they get lots of air. They will also fill all of the hole beneath too.
So thats it folks. Hope it helps you clay soil growers.
Now most would say just grow in smart pots...well this isnt good either in my area when we get so much rain in the spring that water is standing on the ground. Ive got root rot from that too.
So in short this works for me....
BEFORE YOU START FILLING YOUR HOLES, TAKE A BUCKET AND SCOOP OUT ANY STANDING WATER.
Step 1. After your ideal hole is dug fill soil level with ground.
step 2.... before you lay down your root ball, place an additional 4-5 inches thick of soil in the middle of hole so that the middle is raised.
Step 3. When I transplant I like my soil pretty dry so it does not FALL apart. I pull out the root ball intact and place it in middle of the mound. I then surround the roots with soil. It looks somewhat like a giant ant hill.
Now I put around 50 gallons of soil around my roots so that it has room to grow but the roots are not digging into the the "soupy soil" under the plant.step 4. If you are dealing with a lot of rain you need to check your plants every day for signs of water stress. You do not want to get root rot so try to catch it before it happens. This would be a good sign that the roots are now entering the soup
Leaves are starting to canoe.SO IF YOU SEE THIS THERE IS A WAY TO FIX IT AND SAVE YOUR BABY.
step 5.... dig a small hole in the corner of your soil. Place soil on your mound. Make hole just big enough to get a large cup or a gallon jug like I use into the hole to scoop out the water. You will have to repeat this step several times a day for a few days. But hey it works. You can also save the water in barrels if you want to make tea.
step 6. When the weather gets warmer and the ground starts to dry out you can then add as much soil as you desire to your mound.
The most interesting thing ive learned about this is the roots will go to the edge of the mound and then dig itself back in so they get lots of air. They will also fill all of the hole beneath too.
So thats it folks. Hope it helps you clay soil growers.
