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Creating new flower bed

Anyone have pointers for creating a new flowerbed in a yard that has a lot of clay?

I'm being given a lot of perennials. I'd like to spend some time this weekend creating an area for them, so that I have a place to do some fall planting once I get the plants.

I'm thinking that might be wise to either borrow/rent/purchase a rototiller, so that I can till in some organic matter into the clay. But I'm not exactly a gardening expert. (Apparently growing up in a rural area with parents who grew fabulous veggie and flower gardens didn't rub off on me at all. lol)

created by mom2 on Aug 28, 2008 at 06:39:16 pm     Comments: 13

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My dad and stepmom had a beautiful flower bed in the back of their house (also in with a lot of clay).

Recommend going to your favorite home store (Andersons, Home Depot, Menards, etc) and pick up some stones. Not sure what they are called, but decorative, that you use to outline the flower bed. Then fill that area with fresh dirt. Makes it look nice, and supports the extra couple inches of dirt.

Will see if I can dig up some pictures. Hope it turns out well :)

posted by jshriver on Aug 28, 2008 at 07:00:49 pm     #



There aren't any shortcuts to dealing with soil that has a heavy clay content, but gardeners with some patience can achieve wonders in a season or two. Rototilling will help, especially if you mix in small amounts of gypsum, sand, and compost. Be sure to keep an eye on pH levels, since these additional items may change your soil's pH.

It helps that the plants you are transplanting are used to a soil with lots of clay. You might also consider adding some perennials like Coreopsis tinctoria or Helenium that grow well in clay soils.

posted by historymike on Aug 28, 2008 at 07:52:25 pm     #



Incorporate lots of good compost (free thru the City of Toledo?) into the soil, along with aged cow or horse manure. Use a tiller and mix it in, digging down at least 6"~8" - deeper if you can. You might also mix in some peat.

Once you get it planted, mulch it to about 3" deep with aged wood chips. Try to avoid 'fresh' wood chips unless you throw in a bunch of nitrogen rich fertilizer such as bloodmeal (fresh wood chips leaches nitrogen). Avoid using cypress or oak chips, as they take way to long to break down.

Before you till the clay, heavily water the area a few days before. Having no rain in quite awhile has turned clay soils into concrete and watering the area well beforehand will loosen up the soil and make it easier to till and break up.

posted by GraphicsGuy on Aug 28, 2008 at 08:06:22 pm     #



We have alot of clay in most of our yard. My wife and I used alot of compost and a topsoil from Black Diamond (fairly sandy/ light, helps with drainage supposedly). We planted mostly ferns, grasses, and a few shrubs. We were told clay is tough to work with initially, but is great once your plants are established. This came from the Garden Guy.

Could you do a pleasant-looking raised planter?

posted by Postal on Aug 28, 2008 at 08:30:02 pm     #



Sand + clay = cement, so be careful there. Gypsum will loosen clay soil. Gypsum also adds minute amounts of calcium and sulfur, but not in sufficient amounts to be considered plant nutrients. Annual applications of gypsum are required. The very best ammendment to clay soil is organic matter. Work in as much chopped leaves and garden compost (even in rough unfinished form) as you can manage. After planting keep the soil in the bed mulched to a depth of about 2". The mulch, as it breaks down will also improve the tilth of the soil.

If you are really ambitious try the double digging method for a twenty year flower bed. Remove all the sod from the bed. Stack it nearby on a tarp. Dig down one spade depth and place all the dirt on another tarp. In the bottom of the hole add compost and/or other organic matter and spade or garden fork it in. Next place the sod upside down in the bottom of the hole. If you happen to have any high nitrogen fertilizer (lawn fertilizer) lying around throw some on top of the sod layer. It will help the sod decompose faster. Water in. Next put back in the hole the soil set aside on the tarp adding more organic matter, chopped leaves, compost and/or peat moss as you go. When you are done you will have an amazing raised flower bed that will produce astonishing results.

Peat moss will acidify soil, but it takes an awful lot to to make any significant change in pH. As most plants grow well at pH 6.5 ( slightly acidic) to 7 (neutral) or so, don't worry about adding too much peat moss. If working with compressed peat you will have to wait until the peat absorbs moisture before you can plant or the peat will actually wick away moisture from your new plants. It may take a day or two for the peat to get throughly wet. Once wet it is a superior soil amendment for improving soil tilth and drainage.

According to OSU Cooperative Extension most soils in Lucas County are in the 6.8 to 7.2 range. Changing your soil ph is best done only if you are certain you know what it is to begin with. Extension does soil tests for gardeners/homeowners. Lots of gardeners make the mistake of hearing from a neighbor that you need to "lime your soil". Well, maybe, but maybe not. Best not to attempt a change until you are certain.

The Urban Horticulture Hot Line phone# is 419-578-6783, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 1:00. The phones are staffed by Master Gardeners who will research your questions and give you scientifically research based answers. You can drop off sample plant material for diagnostics at 5526 W. Bancroft. Best of all, this great gardening resource is free. Happy digging!
http://osutbg.osu.edu/

posted by holland on Aug 28, 2008 at 08:38:48 pm     #



Thanks so much for the suggestions everyone!

Also...any suggestions on the best way to remove sod? (I'm trying to look up tips right now, but figure that someone here might have good suggestions also.)

holland...I might try that double digging method. Seems like a waste to just dispose of the sod...at least that method would incorporate it into the organic matter!

posted by mom2 on Aug 28, 2008 at 09:19:03 pm     #



OMGoodness Farmer Holland! Wow! You are quite a gardener.

posted by corky on Aug 28, 2008 at 09:44:08 pm     #



One more question...I have one area (close to my house) where I would like to plant several hostas that I've been given. (Then, I'd plan to add some annuals for color and variety next spring.)

There are where I'd want to do this planting is all grass right now. If the hostas were coming to me in the spring, I'd try the "lasagna method" now to slowly prepare the area over the winter.

Would it be possible to do a modified lasagna method now with the hostas? (Digging in and placing the hostas where I want them spaced, but layering the organic materials around them to better prepare the bed for spring.)

posted by mom2 on Aug 28, 2008 at 10:03:06 pm     #



You can do that. If you can, get some Roundup and kill all the grass first. When the grass is dead plop in the hostas and then layer the newspapers, etc. This method will be slower at improving the soil but it will work.

BTW, daffodils are great when interplanted with hostas, The daffs bloom first, then the hosta leaves expand in the spring and cover the ripening daffodil foliage. This combination works best under the shade of a deciduous tree. The daffs get the sun they need before the tree leafs out. Then the hostas get the benefit of the shade they need from the leafed out tree.

Mixing annuals and hostas requires doing your homework about how much sun the site gets and the sun requirements of the annuals and the hostas. But that's what winter's for - reading gardening books and catalogs and choosing your plants. There's nothing better to lift the winter blues when the snow is flying then curling up with cup of tea and a stack of garden catalogs.

posted by holland on Aug 28, 2008 at 10:43:25 pm     #



Or a plastic flower bed. Just keep people from getting to close to notice.

posted by charlatan on Aug 28, 2008 at 10:44:10 pm     #



Retaining wall blocks. You can get a nice raised flower bed by using retaining wall blocks, they are wedge shaped so you can make a circle like 4 foot across or nice bi long curve or whatever suites you.

The universal ones and the capstones look nice we dod one in our back yard this year, 2 stones high plus the caps stones on top. Just need to use some sand or fill to level the ground under the blocks. We used that landscaping fabric after weed whacking all the old growth, then backfilled with a mixture of top soil and some organic blend.

Planted all the plants and topped it all off with a couple inches of wood mulch. Its a couple inches below the level of the top bricks but it looks nice.

posted by Linecrosser on Aug 29, 2008 at 12:17:45 am     #



Holland, clay + sand= concrete? Yikes. I'll have to check the bag of topsoil to see its contents. I got that info/ advice from Black Diamond. I told them I had a bunch of compost and they told me to improve the drainage by adding the topsoil.

Hmmm.

posted by Postal on Aug 29, 2008 at 09:28:27 am     #



If the top soil has enough organic matter you should be OK. Never-ever-add fine plain sand to clay soil.

Quote from OSU Extension:

"The addition of fine sand to some soils, especially clay, however, will be detrimental to the soil structure."

Here is the full text. Improving soil for vegetable gardening is the same as for flower beds.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1602.html

posted by holland on Aug 29, 2008 at 10:47:17 am     #