Hallson Gardens

I have a small area of clay soil that will hopefully be a new bed come spring. I have killed the grass (so called) and have it mulched with some really great pine mulch right now. Should I dig the pine fines in and add maybe some composted manure or can I let it sit on top over winter and let nature do some work for me? I have planted along one edge and have been amazed to see earthworms working their little hearts out under the mulch already.

If it is not heavy clay and you have help from little friends, just add some manure on top of it ?

Vith very heavy clay.. dig in some wood clippings and sharp grit in the top layer.. add some fertilizer to help beak it down.

Pine needles are great

In his planted beds, he piled on the sand, mulch, bone meal and 10-10-10. He then tiled it upo racked it up until leveled and remuclched lightly with pine needles. The next spring he tilled it all up again and put in some new compst, sand, top soil and manure. Beds have done wonderuflly over hat last few years. All OC does now is re fertilize in the fall and re-mulch. In the spring he puts out bone meal. Hed has a number of Raised beds that do well too. Just builgt up about six to 8" of good dirt. Every fall re-fertilizes and fe-mulches. In he spring he covers weith new dirt (compost, sand, Manure, top-soil (which he buys by the truclk load) and re-covers all the beds. He then put Bone meal back on beds.(Has had to add dirt ever spring because the bottoms of the beds are niot sealed and the ground sinbks in the winter....OC

I would do something very similar to what the old Coot says (he is a clever Old Coot you know )
Mind you ... Pia is better looking and much more sexy

No comparison. !!!! OC

Thanks for the advice. What I have done so far is spread some compost dug it in a little added some pine mulch (mostly needles and very small pieces) and dug that in a little and mulched some more. I planted along one side and there were worms and more worms. (none before)
I will till it up a little in spring add some fertilizer and see what I have to work with then. I know it takes alot of time and alot of additions cause just about all the north side of my house was stripped down to the yuckky clay when we moved in the house. I was kind of hoping there was an easy way. But probably not, right??

When you find an easy way to garden let me know