Herb that grow well in clay soil?
- Thread starter Herbian
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baymule
Garden Master
Can you amend the soil with compost? Or leaves, grass? Mix in some compost in the soil and it should loosen up the soil just fine.
journey11
Garden Master
Any of the mints should do fine. And parsley, dill, fennel, cilantro...things that have deep tap roots won't mind. I have clay too, but the only herb I have ever really struggled to grow was chamomile. Probably because it is such a tiny seed.
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baymule - There are some things already planted around the spot I want to grow my herbs....would it still be possible to amend it? Can you amend the soil after you have planted something?
Thank you journey11! What about rosemary and lavender?
Thank you journey11! What about rosemary and lavender?
Ridgerunner
Garden Master
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Most of the herbs do best in a well-drained soil. I think that is what killed my rosemary. It had wet feet all winter. I'm trying it in a different better-drained place this year. I'll see how that goes. Clay tends to hold moisture instead of drain, but it's not necessarily a deal-killer. How much clay do you have in that soil and what else is mixed in there? It may still drain reasonably well.
Another factor is where is it located? Is it a bit up high so the water has some place to drain to or is it in a low spot that holds water? If you dig out a place and amend the soil so it drains well, if you are in a low spot in clay that doesn't drain you may just be building a swimming pool.
Another factor is where is it located? Is it a bit up high so the water has some place to drain to or is it in a low spot that holds water? If you dig out a place and amend the soil so it drains well, if you are in a low spot in clay that doesn't drain you may just be building a swimming pool.
journey11
Garden Master
Mulching the top of the soil will gradually make it very nice and loamy on top as it breaks down, then you can use a turning fork to work it in a bit. I've been using natural bark mulch (not the dyed, redwood bark kind you buy in bags though) for a few years now and have noticed greatly improved drainage and softer soil texture in those flowerbeds. You can use dried grass clippings, leaves, hay, etc. too, but the bark mulch is better. You may have to dig those things up and rework the area if you need immediate results. Are the current plants struggling to grow? If not, I'd just mulch.
I would amend for the rosemary and lavender. They won't like soggy roots or hard clay. Usually it's things that you'd grow directly from seed annually that will tolerate clay better. Clay really isn't all that bad when you consider how nutrient and mineral dense it is, it just needs broken up and amended for better drainage.
baymule
Garden Master
@Herbian You can top dress with compost or mulch. You have already gotten good advice from @journey11 and @Ridgerunner. If you already have other plants that you don't want to disturb, then top dressing is the way to go. I garden in beds and I don't dig them up any more, I just add more compost on top.
If you want to reply to someone so they know that you replied, put @ in front of their name, you'll get a pop up of several names to choose from, and that person gets notification that you tagged them. Like I did in the above paragraph on Journey11 and Ridgerunner. I love this feature!
If you want to reply to someone so they know that you replied, put @ in front of their name, you'll get a pop up of several names to choose from, and that person gets notification that you tagged them. Like I did in the above paragraph on Journey11 and Ridgerunner. I love this feature!
ninnymary
Garden Master
Thanks baymule for explaining that feature. I was too timid to ask. 
Mary
Mary
Dave2000
Deeply Rooted
Dig out a hole as large as you can without harming adjacent plants' roots much, at least a few inches wider and deeper than the plants current root system (presuming you started them in pots). When transplanting, mix into that as much brown organic matter as possible.
In other words get that heavy clay soil out of the hole and add things like peat moss, composted leaves, pine needles, coffee grounds, even sand if nothing else. Till up that mix really well in a bucket or tub to the point where when it is barely damp it doesn't clump together.
When transplanting the plant into the hole, sprinkle that down into the hole around the plant but keep it loose, don't pack it down. Make it a bit of a mound that will settle over time from watering or rain.
The point of the above is to help the plant get a root system started so as it gets larger it is better able to penetrate the clay soil and less in need of frequent watering, can be watered less often and deeper each time.
At the end of your growing season, throw your yard waste like leaves, lawn clippipngs, etc. into the clay soil and till it up along with any crop plants you'd otherwise throw away. You could haul that sort of stuff over to a compost pile or bin then back again later but if it's tilled into the soil then nature will take care of that for you.
As journey11 mentioned, do mulch. Get some of the really low quality
cheap shredded bark mulch that's half rotten away already. It will turn into topsoil faster and every year you add it, your ratio of clay goes down.
In other words get that heavy clay soil out of the hole and add things like peat moss, composted leaves, pine needles, coffee grounds, even sand if nothing else. Till up that mix really well in a bucket or tub to the point where when it is barely damp it doesn't clump together.
When transplanting the plant into the hole, sprinkle that down into the hole around the plant but keep it loose, don't pack it down. Make it a bit of a mound that will settle over time from watering or rain.
The point of the above is to help the plant get a root system started so as it gets larger it is better able to penetrate the clay soil and less in need of frequent watering, can be watered less often and deeper each time.
At the end of your growing season, throw your yard waste like leaves, lawn clippipngs, etc. into the clay soil and till it up along with any crop plants you'd otherwise throw away. You could haul that sort of stuff over to a compost pile or bin then back again later but if it's tilled into the soil then nature will take care of that for you.
As journey11 mentioned, do mulch. Get some of the really low quality
cheap shredded bark mulch that's half rotten away already. It will turn into topsoil faster and every year you add it, your ratio of clay goes down.
baymule
Garden Master
Haha Mary! I am glad I cleared that up for you.Thanks baymule for explaining that feature. I was too timid to ask.
Mary
