Bad Land

Deadly Sushi

Formerly The Giant Mojito
I grew up in a area with wonderful CLAY. Which meant I had to buy tons of nice dirt to grow stuff.

What is YOUR ground consist of? :bounce:
 

suziquzie

New member
somehow.... sand. very fine, holds no moisture SAND. I'd love to trade you for some clay!!
We've only been here 3 years, still working on it.
 

FryBoy

New member
Current house sits on an ancient salt-water sand dune; nothing grows very well unless it's in imported top soil. Lots here are tiny, too, because property near the ocean is so expensive.

Former house was on a large lot on a hillside that consisted of adobe on top of shale; only thing that grew well there was pine trees and ivy.

I wish I had a tomato plant!
 

AllenOK

New member
PeppA tried to break ground on a garden last year. With a shovel. She just flipped over some dirt, then immediately started finding HUGE 50 lb rocks in the ground. It's a good thing she didn't go ahead and buy a roto-tiller like she wanted. I tried to tell her that you need to break ground in the fall, spray to kill the grass roots, mulch, then turn over dirt again in the spring before planting. Then it's weed, weed, weed, all summer long.

I do NOT like to weed. Heck, I don't even like have to avoid obstacles when I'm mowing.

However, I really ought to transplant my rosemary and lavender plant out of the planters and into the ground. I have a small area I can clear some grass out of, and spray to kill the roots. I'm going to need to do that soon, as some things are already starting to pop around here.
 

Maverick2272

Stewed Monkey
Super Site Supporter
We had poor soil when we moved in, lots of clay. We planted tons of native prairie plants and after a few years (3 or 4 I think) we now have great soil.
We are now removing some of the prairie plants to make room for a larger veggie garden and some more flower low stuff as some of the prairie plants get a bit too tall especially for the front of the house.
 

homecook

New member
When we first moved here we had nothing but clay soil. The first two years we added sand and I think vermiculite or something like that. We just kept tilling it in. By the third year we were able to add some good topsoil, tilled it in and now we have some really rich soil in the garden. Every other year we take a soil sample to the Extension branch and they tell us what the soil needs, Ph, etc. It's been really good now. It just took alot of time. It's been about 15 years now and the garden has the best soil of the whole yard!

Barb
 

BamsBBQ

Ni pedo
Site Supporter
cement, sand and gravel or other coarse aggregate oh wait thats concrete..lol

patio gardening here..:sad:
 
Clay and sand. Our town has a compost program, where they collect leaves and stuff throughout the year, make tons of compost, then make it available during the spring ( free of charge for anyone who is a town member). So Ive supplimented with that, along with the purchase of 5 yards of commercial compost.
 

chowhound

New member
Topsoil on top of clay for part of it, and a rift of gravel running through the middle. I've hit everything digging. If I were to plant a garden it would be out back where there's gravel. There used to be a corn field there when I moved in.
 

PanchoHambre

New member
My neighborhood has been dubbed "the badlands" in the press... although now that it is nicer "the badlands" have migrated north and west

Soil? What Soil.... the area was urbanized in the early 1800s and was one of the nations main manufacturing hubs until the 60s. When the factories closed the people left and many of the houses were bulldozed into their foundations. Early in the last decade they started a clean and green program where they put new topsoil and grass and maintain the empty lots as green space. Looks nice but dig 6" and you have a lesson in 20th century urban archeology.

Digging can turn up anything from used syringes to appliances and lots of brick and concrete chunks, clothes etc.

The "Lofts" across the street were originally a soap works and then a paint factory before becoming trendy housing.

Needless to say any edibles are best in containers or raised beds.

My front yard I have turned and cleaned the soil and added new soil and mulch. The concrete curb around it tends to hold the water in so it always stays a bit too wet. I only plant ornamental s there
 

JoeV

Dough Boy
Site Supporter
When we first moved here we had nothing but clay soil. The first two years we added sand and I think vermiculite or something like that. We just kept tilling it in. By the third year we were able to add some good topsoil, tilled it in and now we have some really rich soil in the garden. Every other year we take a soil sample to the Extension branch and they tell us what the soil needs, Ph, etc. It's been really good now. It just took alot of time. It's been about 15 years now and the garden has the best soil of the whole yard!

Barb

Living down the street from homecook, I have the same soil...clay. I have a raised bed garden created from top soil and composting, and it's the best dirt in the yard as well. Don't discount clay soil. Clay will hold moisture as long as you keep it wet, and it makes for a decent lawn after a few years if you mulch your clippings.
 

Jim_S

Resident Curmudgeon
Gold Site Supporter
ROCKS!!!!!
We live on a rock pile!!

Same here! :bonk:

Our place is part of a farm that was split into 5 acre parcels in 1980. Under tillage since the late 1800's. Even with all that soil work every time I dig a hole, plow, or run the tiller I turn up rocks.
 

AllenOK

New member
I guess we're lucky. OK has a wide mix of soils. Some areas are clay, some areas are nothing but sand. We have a nice mix, clay, sand, and humus. But, there's lots of rocks.
 
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