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Hinckley MN

I have a heavy clay soil with a pH around 5.5. liming recommendation is 10 tons per acre or about 2000lbs for my patch. I added 200lbs lime, 100lbs wood ashes, and 100lbs gypsum last spring and will do it again this spring and again in the fall. I've also added 10 yards of aged manure, 10 yards of compost and 10 yards of peat/perlite last spring and the same amounts again last fall. with the combination of "dilution" and the lime I'm hoping to get the top 10 inches to 6.5pH for the 2013 growing season.

I plan to do seperate soil test for the stump areas and the rest of the patch this spring and again in the fall to measure differential nutrient uptake between the stump and vine areas. I'll also take a soil sample from the adjacent undisturbed area to show what I started from.

I don't have a current soil test because I felt it was more important to ammend the clay to a good garden soil, before fine tuning it to giant pumpkin growing.

So my question is, is there anything else I should be adding?

2/1/2012 12:07:26 PM

add a ph meter to your tool box dont guess

2/1/2012 12:52:30 PM

Foley, Minnesota

Ben,
It takes about 1 inch of rain to react 100 lbs of lime/acre. Soil test next fall to see how the pH has adjusted. Wood ashes will also raise pH but gypsum will not change pH. Gypsum is just a good sulfur and calcium source.
Because you are in clay just keep adding compost to increase porosity. Adam.

2/2/2012 2:55:02 PM

Mt Vernon Ky

It has taken me 7 years to get my clay soil up to par and now I have diaese in my patch had to let it lay now I going with no compost or manure in new patch good luck

2/2/2012 3:29:39 PM

Bethlehem CT

I really like the idea of raised or elevated beds for clay soil. I believe that high organic matter in high clay soils will be more prone to disease. High organic matter in sandy porous soils will be less so.

2/3/2012 9:21:31 AM

Hinckley MN

Because of the clay I don't trench in my vines, I just surface bury them. I also build 4x4x1 mounds to plant in. It helps with drainage, soil warming, and air circulation. Last year the soil was just soup after every rain. This year I want to dig some drainage furrows and use alot more walking boards from the start.

2/3/2012 9:59:50 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Drainage trenches aren't just for clay. they have done wonders for my silt loam.

2/3/2012 1:05:48 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

I would grow something on it and till it in to build some soil tilth. Compost your leaves in the fall. Mother nature will supply the worms hopefully which will continue to loosen and move the clay. everything else sounds great. Remember clay is also beneficial as it holds soil nutrients very well.

2/3/2012 5:46:28 PM

Colorado

The western lab guy said (in vegas)add lots of organic material to loft the soil.Will help with keeping aerobic conditions in the soil.

3/5/2012 11:02:26 AM

Piqua, Ohio

If you can put 4" tile in your patch evert 10 feet I dug a pond this winter and used the topsoil to raise my patch, ran the tile to the pond in a few years the tile will help greatly with disease and losen up the soil. I have heavy clay ground it has taken me 6 years to get it where I want it. I recommend compost over manure, I found out the hard way!

3/17/2012 11:46:43 AM