Quote:
Originally Posted by ArcherB
There was about 1/2 to 1 inch of "stuff" on top of the clay, which I scraped off and used it to back fill the holes I was digging, and on occasion, I would run across a nice pocket of material from when I had dug a hole to plant in years past, but for the most part, there was nothing beyond that half inch.
I think the problem may have been the red clay. This clay does not wash away. That's why they make bricks out of it. So when the monsoons came last winter, the clay stood firm while all the good stuff on top simply washed out from under the mulch.
You have red clay in Oklahoma, don't you? I know they do in the southern half of the state. Lay down some weed block to kill the grass and stack six inches total of compost from grass clippings, dried leaves and wood mulch on top, in that order. After a full year of sitting out in the weather, you'll find most of it gone. The problem is that nothing can penetrate the clay, simply doesn't stick. It must be worked into the soil or it will simply wash away... or blow away, or taken by garden gnomes... or maybe it's possible that six inches of material simply broke down to half an inch of silt. All I know is where it isn't.
So, now, after 30 years, you have heard of such a thing.
As for now, I've given up on the idea of a raised bed and gone with my new brilliant idea of a "sunken bed". It's like a raised bed, but rather than put good dirt on top of bad, you dig the bad stuff out and fill it back in with good stuff. Sure, when it rains, it will fill up like a bathtub, but in our dry climate, that's not really a problem.
Oh, and what to the Sooners and marijuana have in common? They both get smoked in bowls. :-)
**EDIT**
I don't mean to come off as a smart a... alec, but after reading it, it sounds that way. My point was that in all my brilliance, I appear to have screwed up more in five years that you have in 30. It should take hard work to make that much compost vanish, but to me, that level of incompetence simply comes naturally. I am an over achiever at doing things that make people say, "wait... you did what!??! How did you manage that?"
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Yes we have clay. And when I moved here that clay was solid as a rock. I saw no worms at all. Not a single worm in the tiny part of my garden that I originally tried to dig before I gave up and just laid paper and mulch over the rest. Now on my 5th year here the good soil is about 6-10 inches deep and full of worms before reaching that hard pan clay. The top 3 or 4 inches is REALLY good. I can dig it with bare hands. Just walk up, pull away the mulch and poke my fingers in it almost like you would potting soil.
HMMMM maybe the difference is sand? Because we have sand in our clay. Makes it even harder when it is just clay and sand. Really like a rock. I actually have mistaken lumps of clay in my garden as rocks before... literally. But once some organic material mixes in it by worm action, I think the sand makes it even better and more crumbly.... I'll have to think about that one.
What I don't get is why even the worms couldn't get into your clay to turn it into good soil? Did you ever put a garden fork to it to break up the hardpan? Ever grow a crop or companion on it with penetrating roots like carrots or Purslane?
There has to be a reason for your experience. Things don't happen by magic. I have had epic failures on the scale you are talking about..not that particular fail....but things happen. That's how we learn.
I guess my best advise is to try and figure it out. Since the technique brought better results for a few years before failing.....if you can figure out the fail, you can figure out something to improve your knowledge and experience and produce better long term.
Your "bathtub" technique I am not so sure about. Sounds good... almost like a double dug bed
Whether it works as good as it sounds I have no idea!
Double dug beds work well, so maybe you'll be fine. Lets hope so!