Clay isn't so bad if it drains well. The way you can tell is to look at the subsoil. Red or brown subsoil means good drainage. Gray subsoil means poor drainage.

I'd think about raised beds. Something about 4-6 ft wide and 12-18 inches high will help a lot. Bigger and higher if drainage is really poor.

Tile drains will help if there is an outlet and the subsoil drains enough to lead water to the tile.

"Mud piles" sounds like poor drainage.

I've had my share of it, and lost plenty of stock to drowning. I eventually installed field tile, then started converting the orchard to mounds.

Both are helpful, but of the two, planting trees in mounds is a bigger bang for the buck.

The risk of problems on poorly drained soil really depends on what fruits you are planting (and the rootstocks they are on). But most fruits don't like saturated soil during the growing season.

I'm also not a big fan of clover as a cover crop. I know a lot of folks are enamored w/ the fact it fixes N, but the disadvantage is that it attracts stink bugs. Additionally, blooming ground covers attract bees, which complicates a spray program (in order not to kill the bees).

I don't have as much experience as some of the other growers. However I have lived around a lot of orchards and done lots and lots of reading. I have seen the benefits of mounds and raised row plantings. Note I said raised rows not raised beds. A raised row has no wood or wall holding the soil in place. A raised row is usually made by a plow attached to a tractor or some other piece of farm equipment. Its amazing how fast the process is. I bet you could easily get 3-4 rows plowed by a farmer the entire length of your planting in less than an hour.

I agree with all the advice you've gotten here and also suggest that you replant what's already in in the raised soil- whichever scheme you choose- raising the entire row or individual mounds. Individual mounds will require annual mulching or some other method to counter erosion. They probably also more dramatically affect drainage.

Usually when raised rows are used the elevation is less and sod can hold onto the higher soil.

Don't discount olpeas comments about stinkbugs and clover or the complication to the spray process. I too have seen a strong connection between broad leaf plants in the ground cover and stink and TP bugs.

>Clay isn't so bad if it drains well. The way you can tell is to look at the subsoil.
>Red or brown subsoil means good drainage. Gray subsoil means poor
>drainage.

This is a good tidbit to remember. Why is it the case?

Alex

Alex:

All soil contains significant amounts of iron. If the iron is oxidized it is a red rusty color. If iron is reduced, as happens in soil lacking oxygen, it is a gray color.

I've read this in soil text books also but have had difficulty with drainage and tree vitality even when iron in the soil rusted nicely. I Don't recommend you count on this as a sure-fire test.