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IT'S TOUGH TO GROW TROPHY PUMPKINS IN COMPACTED CLAY
Chaska's famous clay may have made great bricks but it sure makes for a lousy garden.
If the ground in your garden contains a lot of clay, you might want to do some serious amending to make it a friendlier place for plants. Some clay in soil is okay, since clay contains essential minerals and helps retain water. Too much clay, however, inhibits root growth, is easily compacted and never dries out. Compost benefits clay soils by encouraging fine clay particles to clump together into larger pieces, improving soil aeration and drainage.
A year ago, I got so frustrated with the clay in one flowerbed that I started digging it out and ended up removing 14 wheelbarrows-full before I was satisfied. I refilled the 1-foot deep hole with a more workable soil mixture and this year the flowers have a much better attitude.
It's a lot of work to completely remove clay - unless you own a skid-steer loader, which I don't - so another alternative is to create an above-ground garden by building a planter box out of rock, landscape blocks or wood.
This spring, I built an 8-foot square above-ground "garden" using 5"x 6" timbers. I filled the 2-foot high box with about 3 cubic yards of a rich, loose mixture of loam, peat and composted manure. Compared with the clay that lies beneath the box, this soil looks and feels like...well, the real thing.
I planted tomatoes and peppers in this raised garden, along with several giant-sized pumpkin plants. I needed rich soil for the pumpkin plants because I'm competing with my brother to grow the largest pumpkin. Last year, I won the competition. He's gotten serious this year, however, and claims his plants are already flowering. I'll have to go over with a flashlight some night and see just what he's up to.
Soil is critical to growing success. Soil supports plants and provides the food and water necessary for their growth. Both the structure and composition of the soil affect how much water and how many nutrients your plants get.
Basically, the looser the soil, the better it drains and the more readily the root system can spread.
Pressure from equipment and foot traffic can compact the soil in your garden. Water and oxygen cannot easily penetrate compacted soil to reach the roots of your plants. In addition, the lack of water and oxygen prevents organic matter from decomposing properly. It doesn't take much compaction to affect plant growth. Research studies have shown that normal, everyday compaction can reduce plant growth by at least 10%.
The ideal soil for your landscape is fertile, loose, friable and rich in organic material. Soil containing minerals, a good population of microorganisms and at least 5 percent organic matter is the perfect environment for growing healthy plants, trees and shrubs.
To correct a compaction problem, till the soil and add lots of organic matter. Mix it in good because adding organic material to the surface doesn't help at all if the soil underneath is hard. Organic matter can hold up to twice its weight in moisture, releasing water to plant roots and improving moisture retention in sandy soils. Remember, organic material is continually decomposing so add more each year to replace the decaying particles.
I'll keep you posted on my pumpkin-growing progress when I've got something to brag about. Meanwhile, and I'd like to hear about other giant pumpkins growing in the Chaska area. Write to me at the Herald and let me know if you've got a trophy in the making. Perhaps in the fall we can persuade the publishers of this newspaper to include photos of the biggest pumpkins grown in this area.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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