I thought I got my crappy clay soil mixed enough with grow mulch and such,but the plants either look over watered or want water,i dug around them and the clay soil is still dominent and I think the roots are suffocating.Its alot of sage,lavender,society garlic,hibiscus,bottle brush,and stuff like that.I know what each one needs,and know what brands of soils I like,all hase been planted in the ground within the last few weeks.NOW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,is it ok to carefully dig each one back up and mix in more mulch for better draining or will it be to much stress,if I dont jack up the roots too much?plant help please
- Thread starter jason longboard
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I thought I got my crappy clay soil mixed enough with grow mulch and such,but the plants either look over watered or want water,i dug around them and the clay soil is still dominent and I think the roots are suffocating.Its alot of sage,lavender,society garlic,hibiscus,bottle brush,and stuff like that.I know what each one needs,and know what brands of soils I like,all hase been planted in the ground within the last few weeks.NOW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,is it ok to carefully dig each one back up and mix in more mulch for better draining or will it be to much stress,if I dont jack up the roots too much?
I wouldnt risk it, but I think it could be done. You could also add Revive, over time it seems to help break up clay.
clay is extremely tough for roots to get through. If you're serious, you may want to get some loam to fill about a foot or 2 deep. this will work fine for the plants. the the types of soils are honestly just gimmicks. the more important thing is that they are softer, and will hold nutrients. any top soil will do. also, be careful not to plant too deep, as this leads to the rotting of stems; the part of the plant that basically carries nutrients from the roots and up to the rest of the plant. hope this helps!
yeah the clay sucks,i mixed tons of grow mulch in and dug it all up but i think i should have used more,Im thinking of dumping tons of worms in too.
If you're just digging a hole and filling it with new mix all you're doing is creating a bucket for the new plants to sit in, raised beds would be a good option, or tougher plants...
David R;3134849; said:
Totally agree. Anything you mix is going to be crap. Clay is good for pots not plants.
likestofish;3135187; said:
LOL to his entire section? I imagine sand and clay would be like trying to grow plants in concrete, sand is terrible for "drainage" if you're trying to achieve a light well-draining mix as it compacts and fills in all the air gaps.
we hardly get ny rain here,with the mulch I added and lighter watering I think it should be ok.I made the holes bigger as well.