[dmariev]

Hello all!
I had a garden when i was pregnant with DS, and loved making his baby food at home. He is 8yo now and loves veggies, so I think the home made food helped that.

Now, being preggo with #2, I want another garden. BUT, I have run into an issue- the ground here at our new house is made of clay. How do I plant in clay? And, I am in central California- is it too late in the season to start?

Any info/advice is appreciated!
Thanks so much!!!

Dani

 

[sunanthem]

I'm in the blue ridge mountains, so I have no clue what gerdening is like by you, but I would get in contact with your local cooperative extension and they should know how to help ammend your soil, when to plant, etc. Also folks at nurseries in your area can be helpful to talk with.

 

[dogmom327]

I think there's a gardening forum a little further down the main page (called Digging in the Earth?). Seems like there's a ton of knowledgeable mama's hanging out down there.

 

[RunnerDuck]

I have always had soil on the clay-y side... could never grow very big carrots but above ground stuff worked out OK. You can lighten clay, I think, by working in sand ... but I never bothered.

You could also do raised beds which is more money (for the dirt and wood and all) but ensures perfect soil.

 

[craftymom]

I have clayey soil here. (The kind that sticks to your shoes when it rains, and you end up 2" taller, and then the kids track it in...)

Over the years I have added lots of compost. I started with organic compost from Lowe's. Now we have our own. I also added organic veggie fertilizers that I got at Armstrong (local garden center chain). I also added sand, but I can't remember what kind--but it was either from Lowe's or OSH. Not Home Depot, they'd probably try to sell you sand for concrete.

Do you know if you have a caliche layer? If so, you need to break through it so your garden can drain. We used to live in Phoenix and did this, it was a nightmare, but then we had an awesome garden.

When you say Central CA, do you mean SLO or Fresno? If you're in the central valley, there are lots of things you could still do--tomato seedlings, zucchini, maybe melons, you might even be hot enough to grow okra. If you're on the coast, you have different options. I just planted my zukes, beans (pole and bush), gourds (an experiment--it may not get hot enough), more carrots and lettuce, last week. I have lots of beans up, but nothing else yet.