Clay Soil and Pine Mulch

Plants and soil types are like the 3 bears and bed types in the "Goldilocks" story. There is no one prefect soil that every plants likes.

Here in the chilly zone 4a region of Wisconsin we have a difficult soil for most traditional plants. It is clay, compact, wet, and highly alkaline. On the plus side clay has tons of nutrients and holds water well. What can you do to improve your garden to be more acceptable to other non clay/alkaline loving plants?

Added lots pine mulch!

Pine mulch is acidic (epically the pine needles). Normally most advice is to neutralize this acidity by adding a alkaline product to the mulch (common one is lime stone powder). But why add alkaline if acidity is what you really want. The acidity in the mulch will eventually balance out the soil, creating soil layers with a range of acidic to alkaline the deeper the soil level gets. This means each plant will send roots the soil level of acidic/alkaline it likes and then start growing! Mulch is great at keeping just the right water level so your plants don't dry out or don't water rot. While mulch also helps prevents weeds, since the mulch is acidic that helps stop those pesky weeds. Eventually the much will break down and help with the compaction of the soil. (Warning: mulch in the first year will absorb nitrogen, but will release it as it breaks down in the 2nd year)



Resources:
http://www.we-energies.com/forestry/woodchips.htm

https://uwlab.soils.wisc.edu/pubs/lowering_ph.pdf

http://wood.uwex.edu/2010/11/18/pine-needles-cause/

Starting Seeds: Cubes

It's Soil, in 3D...

In one of my previous blogs is mentioned the soil cube. Normally don't buy 'new innovate garden tools' as they are more marketing then quality. After some research, I bought one. I still think it is a great item for starting seeds and will still use it, but maybe not a convenient as soil pellets. Here is what I learned.

The Marketing:

• Save Money! The soil cube system is less expensive.  It serves as both a container and the soil for starting and growing seedlings, eliminating the need for plastic pots and trays for transplanted seedlings
• Seedlings grown in soil cubes form stronger root systems than those grown in containers due to increased oxygen to the roots and the soil cube's natural tendency to"air-prune" roots. This creates a substantial advantage when seedlings are transplanted into the field, because plants establish themselves more quickly and, because of lessened root disruption, they are less prone to transplant shock.

Actual Pros:

• Plants don't have transplant shock
• Plants (after being transplanted) grow faster, have less issue
• No root issues, like root balling.
• less seed starting issues when they sprout
• very cheep to do a lot of seed starting

Actual Cons:

• little more work get soil ready to plant seeds
• little more messy to make cubes
• harder to keep moist (might do better with self water system...)
• if you water too much the cube become a puddle of mud

Summary:
Will I use this again? Yes.
It might be a little more dirtier and little more hime to make the cubes. The plants do so much better in the long term. Tomato plants last year did better then direct sow or seed tray methods. My only real worry is watering the cubes. Too little water and the seeds won't grow. Too much water and the cube falls apart. Then again, it might be good for beginner gardeners to teach how much water seeds need.

Future improvements: self watering would be great.



soil cube

Episode 600 interview with soil cube creator clayton jacobs

From clay to soil.

Most of the soil in Milwaukee is clay. While trees and shrubs do well in clay soil, smaller plants (like bulbs, vegetables, flowers, perennials) will not do so well. Lets look pros and cons of clay soil, and what you can do to fix the soil.

The Bad News:

• Clay is dense and compacts easily, preventing roots to grow well.  Bad for root crops and starting from seed. This is also why it clomps together and sticks to your shoes. Don't work the soil when it is wet, it just compacts more.
• When clay drys out, the soil crusts over and cracks. This rock hard crust makes it hard for seeds start growing and find sunlight. The crust also more run off  from rain.
• This soil is slow to warm in the spring. Bad for germinating seeds and plant growth.
• Slow the drain water. Soil that is constantly wet, will rot the plant's roots.
• Damaging to plants over the winter (Winter/Frost Heaving)

The Good News:

• The soil retains water, meaning less watering is needed. This is a great for raise garden beds, where other soils dry out too fast.
• Usually, clay is more richer in nutrient then other soils types
• Good for making seed balls

What can you do?

Amend the soil by mixing in organic material.
Mixing things like leaves, grass clippings, and compost is great for amending any soil. I have been doing this every fall for 2 years with great results. I mix in leaves using a shovel and over the winter the worms do their thing, making the soil better. This is not a instant change from clay to garden soil. From my progress, I am guessing after the 4th year I should have that 'garden soil' you see sold in the stores. However my tomato plants did great even after the 1st year.

I know mixing manually is tough. You could use a tiller, but using a shovel to mix in leaves is better for the soil (about.com). I use a ratio of 60% soil to 40% leaves, because the leaves compact down when mixed. If you have extra leaves, maybe you should save some for your composting needs next year. Shoveling is a lot of work and takes me about 2-3 days to do a 8ft x 20ft garden bed, but it is a great way to burn off that thanksgiving dinner. Here are some picture of what I have done: clay soil

Build on top of the soil. 
You could just build raise garden bed on top of the soil and fill it with garden soil. Remember just like container planting, you will need to replace the soil each year. I'll warn you it can get expensive depending on your garden size. This is what Mel Bartholomew recommends in his book 'Square foot gardening'.  Mel cites that this is less work, better soil, and usually better results. I think it is good plan if you are doing a small 4ft x 4ft garden and might be moving soon.

Plant clay friendly plants.
If you can't beat them... actually plants that do well in clay soil, slowly start repairing the soil. Beans, Pees, Potatoes, Cabbages, Brussels, Kale, and Legumes are some good plants (plants for clay soil). Cover crops (clover, rye, or oats) plated in September and then chopped down in May also help repair the soil (improving clay soils). I haven't tried cover crops but it sounds easy enough.


What ever you choose, let me know. Clay soil is a challenge. It is always helpful to learn from others.