Gschnettler said:Thanks for all of the replies so far. I am new to gardening so I might be asking simple questions for things that seem obvious to you. So, sorry if this is all too basic. I'm learning.
Actually, I think that re-examining the basics (gardening fundamentals) is one of THE most fruitful things we can do in a public forum.
- It brings out the different philosophies of experienced gardeners who might otherwise never mention the things that are second nature to them (and mysteries to others).
- We all learn from each other, and answers to general questions might be interesting to more people than answers to specific questions.
- Other beginning gardeners are exposed to both “conventional wisdom” and “other theories”, although this thread has been mostly in agreement so far.
- It brings out both “I do it this way” and also “here are ideas and techniques that are widely applicable”. Not only the original poster, but everyone who reads the thread can pick and choose which ideas to try out and maybe add to their toolkit.
Gschnettler said: ...
My soil is pretty much hard clay. You can't just dig your hand into it and have the dirt run through your fingers. You need a shovel and you need to push down hard with your foot. So, maybe this is really bad soil for plants.
But...if I ignore this area, weeds start growing right away. ...
So, can I just plant some of the so-called clay buster plants ...
Some of these plants are supposed to have huge taproots that go down 10-15 feet ...
My goals are low maintenance and to establish a habitat that's friendly to local wildlife like bees, butterflies, birds, etc. Seems like if weeds can grow, so can certain desirable plants, right?
Well, there are “fussy plants” as well as “weedy plants”, and some plants insist on good drainage for their roots. The weeds that thrive have self-selected themselves. You see dozens of species of weeds that are happy as clams in mud in your clay. But there are hundreds or thousands of weed species that are NOT growing in that clay, because they have fussy feet.
You must have SOME drainage or the only weeds you would see would be bog plants. So maybe you have some slope, and maybe the clay perks a little despite being so heavy. Have you ever dug a test hole to see how deep your clay goes? In some places it extends down to bedrock, and in some places only exists in layers or bands.
>> So, can I just plant some of the so-called clay buster plants ...
That’s a super-good idea. Farmers sometimes use things like “tillage radishes” or Daikon radishes to do exactly that. If you have some
variety of weeds and not only those that tolerate root drowning, there are many cover crops that would thrive. Especially if you pick types that tolerate heavy clay. BTW, there are also MIXES of cover crops designed so that some plants grow tall quickly with strong stems and support the others, some fix nitrogen, some send down deep roots and others grow a lot of green top growth very fast (buckwheat).
You COULD instead spend a lot of money, haul in cubic yards of soil amendments, spread and till, haul more things in, spend more money and labor ... or plant cover crops and wait a year or three to get the same results (or better results).
Some of the main virtues of “cover crop” species are “will they grow in heavy clay?” and “do they loosen and aerate the soil deeply with their roots?” and “do they produce lots of OM in their roots and tops, to add to the soil?” and “can they FIX Nitrogen so that they ADD N to the soil's fertility?”
I would suggest combining the goal of “clay buster plants” with the advice “add organic matter”, and perhaps also the goal “attract wildlife”. Pick a cover crop mix that does all three!
You can add OM with mulch, sheet composting, top-dressing with compost, tilling compost or leaves under the soil ... or with “green manure”.
Grow a cover crop, and DON’T strip away the green top growth. Leave it in the field to enrich the soil with OM, or OM and Nitrogen. That’s “green manure”. You can mow it if you want, and use the green tops as mulch, or compost them and add the compost to soil later. Or, if you have access to a plow, plow it under and start a new cover criop right away.
>> My goals are low maintenance and to establish a habitat that's friendly to local wildlife like bees, butterflies, birds, etc.
My first thought was to grow classic cover crops for several years first, THEN start selecting plants for wildlife.
But maybe some people here know some cover crops that are liked by butterflies and bees, or birds, AND good for breaking up clay.
I used to find MANY lists of cover crops online, sorted into categories like
- “clay-tolerant”,
- “breaks up clay”
- “drought-tolerant”,
- “adds lots of OM”,
- “fixes Nitrogen”,
- stops erosion
- suppresses weeds
- attracts beneficial insects
etc.
Now I have to hunt around more for good lists. But my guess is that the clerk at a local co-op store or “feed store” will know what’s best for your area. If they have ten pallets of 50-pound bags of some kind of seed in the warehouse, that’s a good choice for your area! Clover, oats and rye are possibilities, but the specific variety of each one has to be cghosen to be best for your climate and soil.
Here are some things to browse if you want to sound more knowledgeable if you discuss it with a clerk:
http://garden.org/ediblelandsc...
http://www.permaculturenews.or... < - - list of cover crops
http://www.motherearthnews.com...
http://www.gardeningknowhow.co...
I think you have to decide whether you want an annual cover crop that will “go away” in one season if you mow it before it goes to seed, or a perennial cover that will over-winter and just keep driving its roots deeper for years.
It sounds like 2-3 years of some deep-rooted perennial that suppresses weeds would be a less-work way to start. After a few
years of that first cover crop, mow and plow or rototill, then change over to a bee-and-butterfly garden.
Maybe, while waiting for the cover crops and worms to do the hard work for you, also plant a few small raised beds in the middle of the cover crop, to give enough aerated soil to grow whatever wildlife-friendly plants you want on a permanent basis. Get 'em established now so that you can collect seeds or divide them for a few years. When all of the soil is rich, well-drained and welcoming, you will have plenty of stock of your own to plant out.
