My SiL and BiL have a townhouse with a small space to plant in the back, and their soil is exactly like yours- heavy, lots of clay. Pick it up, barely squeeze and it holds the shape type of heavy, clay soil.
I took over a 5gal bucket of my compost and worked it into a section of their area, so they could grow *something* this season at least. And I told her what to do to help loosen the soil more, by working in coffee grounds, egg shells, tea leaves, fruit/veggie leavings, you know, general composting stuff.
So I get a text yesterday, telling me the soil is still pretty crappy. Um, it's been a week that you've been amending it, it's not going to get better overnight. Boggled my mind that they actually thought a week of adding a few things here and there would make their soil better. O.o
It's taken me 10 years to get my soil- slate and clay mostly- to a good, not great, just good, growing soil. There's a reason most of my beds are raised afterall.}:P I should tell them about yours taking 6 years.}:P
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I took over a 5gal bucket of my compost and worked it into a section of their area, so they could grow *something* this season at least. And I told her what to do to help loosen the soil more, by working in coffee grounds, egg shells, tea leaves, fruit/veggie leavings, you know, general composting stuff.
So I get a text yesterday, telling me the soil is still pretty crappy. Um, it's been a week that you've been amending it, it's not going to get better overnight. Boggled my mind that they actually thought a week of adding a few things here and there would make their soil better. O.o
It's taken me 10 years to get my soil- slate and clay mostly- to a good, not great, just good, growing soil. There's a reason most of my beds are raised afterall.}:P I should tell them about yours taking 6 years.}:P