SOIL AMENDMENT FOR HOSTA BED:

[steve]

I'm in the process of laying out a new garden. It will be about 10' x 20' and I live in Texas. My present clay soil is at 7.3.

I'm in need of advice concerning the amendment of my planting bed. What I'm considering doing is tilling the (clay) about 6"-8" deep, adding about ten 40 lb. bags of organic cotton burr compost, oyster shell, and then tilling it all in together. Finally I would plant the hosta and add cedar mulch. Some have also suggested adding sand or lava sand for more drainage? Anyway, can some of you give me some advice on this matter?

Also, is my sprinkler system good enough, or would it help to add a drip system to the bed? I could add one station to my existing sprinkler system for the bed and install a drip system, so I could water early in the morning for say 30 minutes daily in the summer. In my mind this would help with fungus and crown root also?

I'm new with hosta in Texas and I'm open to any advice??

Thank you,

Steve

[John]

I think you need to be careful if adding sand to clay soil--- you don't want to make a mixture that will bake into bricks. I'd suggest plenty of organic matter will both hold moisture and yet improve drainage.

[thy]

I do not know what 7.3 means, but my last gardenb had heavy clay... you could make an elephant tail and everything with no problem the first years

It was a city lot, so it was not big and it got up tp one ton of compost every year - added on the top..didn't help much, then a lot of chicken grit too every year.. helped a bit, what really did the difference was an advise from Wanda here on the forum.."dig in some small pieces of wood, sort of wood you can use for cover between bushes " - and remember to add some urea for breaking down the organic material

The oyster shells sounds good

Hope you can get some good soil out of it

Pia

[steg]

I think the small wood additions would help...something to create some space in the soil. Maybe even tilling in some of the cedar mulch might help too. I'm not entirely sure what to tell you. As for adding a drip system - probably not a bad idea. It does get a little warm in Texas from time to time. A little water may help.

I'm guessing the 7.3 is the pH? From what I can tell you may wish to try and drop that while your at it. However, I think the clay/soil I have here is about a pH 7 or maybe a little under. Things are going fine. Starting fresh though ---- I'd try to get it down under 6. Sounds like you're on the right track though by planning ahead and asking questions first. Would have helped me out a lot. Oh well.....


Good luck!

[John]

The ph probably should be brought down more into the acid range, yes. The oyster shells would most likely make the soil even more alkaline. I'd use peat moss, myself...

[eastwood2007]

No sand...definitely will make bricks out of clay soil...did it myself...won't do it again!

[Ginger]

I am lucky and don't have clay, but I have heard that pine bark is good to mix in. I would certainly do the drip system on your hosta, but I would water longer than 30 minutes and not every day. Water long enough to give them a good deep soaking, maybe all night, then don't water again for a few days.

Ginger

[Chris_W]

You guys have added a lot of what I was also thinking:

30 minutes a day is not enough water, and too often. Better to really soak the soil through once or twice a week and then let the surface completely dry out. Get those roots nice and deep but tough enough to withstand some dryness.

The pH is fine - add lots of organic matter and it will come down over time - however the oyster shell might raise the pH. I probably wouldn't do that. Instead mix in some pine bark if you need some grit, don't add sand. Canadian peat moss can help lower the pH, but will also increase the moisture holding capacity. That works fine for hostas, not the best for other types, though.

The compost sounds the best. If you can get enough of it, spread a thick layer evenly over the entire planting area, then when you plant each plant just mix it down in. You could till some into the clay, possibly tilling in some pine bark at the same time, but then still try to build up over the top before planting. Better to garden above clay than in clay.

Mulch when you are done, but keep the mulch away from the crowns to avoid too much moisture building up on the stems.

Good luck!

Chris

[steve]

Chris,

So would you till it first at 10" deep and then add compost and bark and re-till that in? Or would you till it first and then just add the compost and bark, WITHOUT tilling it in? And, yes I will be planting other plants besides hosta.
And or you saying to uses Canadian Peat Moss or to use another type of compost? What do you think of cotton burr?

Steve

[Spider]

There are plants OTHER than hosta???

[eastwood2007]

Cotton burr is excellent compost....there are some large pieces in some brands of it. Be aware that if you turn alot of rough organic material into the bed that it uses up the nitrogen there to decompose....may need to add some Milorganite or manure to balance it out in the spring.

[wbara]

try bales ofpeat moss ,or cotton burr. aged horse manure the older the better. leaves ground up. hostas like leaf mole. and gymsum, 2 loosen up the soil . i live in zone 5 with blue and yellow clay . it works greay here. hope what ever u do works 4 u