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buford_gw

Soil destroyed by construction, how to rebuild

buford
9 years ago

I've been in my home for 14 years. It was new construction when I bought it, and I worked hard to get the soil into good condition. However, this year, the county had to redo the drainage pipes in our area and unfortunately many ran through my yard. Most of the area that was dug up was lawn, so that will just be resodded. However in the process, they also destroyed some of my existing beds and I now have new beds that were created (they had to remove a bunch of junipers that I wanted to get rid of anyway).

I don't know what the final result will be yet. They had to cart away most of the soil that was dug up, most of it was clay after the top layer. I fear I am going to be left with mostly clay and back to square one. To give you an idea, this is what I am dealing with:

This is my side yard. The middle was lawn, the forefront was a nice bed with roses and okame cherry trees. I lost one of the trees and most of the roses I removed and have in pots. The farthest area, which borders my neighbors yard is on an incline. I previously had native trees, mostly oak and hickory. It was also fairly weedy with invasive honeysuckle. It had to be clear cut to allow for the equipment.

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This is my new middle island bed. This area previously had overgrown junipers. I gave up trying to work in this bed awhile ago, because the soil here is bad. This is part of what was dug up (and what I would find when I tried to plant there):

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Ironically I think this bed may be a bit better than it was before (which really isn't saying much). But it will still need a lot of work. Here is how it looks now after the digging has been done and it's been partially graded:

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It's pure clay, with a lot of sand. We haven't had rain in awhile and as you see, it's been packed down by the equipment.

My question is, what is the best way to approach this? Should I just have some topsoil brought in, or will that just be a band aid? I don't mind doing some hard work, renting a tiller to break all this up and amend, amend and amend some more.

Since I've lost a lot of the trees where I used to get a lot of leaves and pine straw, I'm limited to work with what I have, I will either have to beg neighbors for leaves or buy lots of compost. The did leave my compost pile area almost untouched, so I am thinking of using what's up there (it's in a wooded area) and bringing it to the areas that were destroyed to make them a bit better.

Any thoughts?

Comments (16)

  • buford
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, we didn't have any major drainage problems before in our yard. Our neighbors did because their basement is too low (IMO) and the way their yard was sloped it would get flooded. The county finally determined that the drainage we had was insufficient. I am just lucky enough to have the pipes in my yard. It was advantageous because they found that the pipes in my yard were damaged and we could have had a sinkhole situation if they weren't replaced. Plus I got rid of the junipers.

    But the drainage as far as individual plants could be a problem. I know from experience that the clay will have a bathtub effect if I just pile on organic matter. I usually try to mix the organic stuff in with the clay so it doesn't wash away. I've been thinking of just tilling the top 6 inches or so, as you recommended, and maybe putting a border of stones around the bed in the front to create a slightly raised bed and then filling it up with organics that I can mix with the clay. What I have planned for that bed is mostly roses with some evergreens and perennials. Then I will just mulch and keep adding compost and other organic materials on top. I normally use alfalfa meal, composted manure and milorganite as amendments/fertilizes and do a lot of seaweed/fish emulsion foliar feed. The roses I'm putting here are large teas that will take awhile to get big so I can be patient. I'm thinking of asking the guys to leave the little steam shovel for me to use :)

  • glib
    9 years ago

    You don't have to "beg" for leaves. You should just harvest whatever leaf bags they drop at the curbside. Lots of organic matter (2-4 lbs per square foot is a good start) and tilling. Given the state of the soil, I would even till in tons of the dreaded wood chips. They make rob nitrogen in the first year, but you need stuff in there, quick, and chips are the cheapest form of OM.

  • cabernet14
    9 years ago

    A mechanical loosening is good, also organic matter. But use only ripe compost and dig it not to deep (max. 3 - 5 cm).
    Very important would be a greenmanure for one or more years.
    Specialy plants with deep roots.
    Potent plant are Melilotus Officinalis = Yellow Sweet clover (1-2 Years),
    Melilotus Albus = White Sweet (1-2 Years)
    Medicago Sativa = Lucerne or Alfalfa (2 Years and more)
    For a half till one year are possible Lupinus angustifolius = Blue Lupine,
    Raphanus sativus subsp. Oleifera = Oil radish,
    Malva sylvestris = Common mallow or cheeses.
    This is an advice of an German Teacher for viticulture

  • glib
    9 years ago

    quite the contrary, raw organic matter stimulates both fungal and faunal populations. They will till and turn the soil for you after it has been injected down to a certain depth. It is not fast but it is efficient.

    For my permanent plantings (fruit trees and shrubs, and squash and bean trellises) I bury rotten logs in large amounts (say 50 lbs per tree), a german technique called hugelkultur which works wonders, specially for the survival of young trees, shrubs and vines.

  • Kimmsr
    9 years ago

    What you have is the mineral base of the soil predominate in your area and adding something called "topsoil", which can be anything, will only add a small amount of the organic matter that soil needs. If you were to get some very good "topsoil" it most likely would be about 95 percent mineral (which you already have in abundance) and about 5 percent organic matter (which that soil needs). Far better is to just get a lot of organic matter, leaves, compost, what ever is available and work that into the soil. As long as that OM is spread over a wide area, not just in planting holes, the "bathtub affect" will be minimized.
    Maybe, possibly, if you were building raised beds "topsoil" might be a good choice. The current issue of Organic Gardening magazine has a good article on building raise beds and not using several tons of soil to fill them.

  • buford
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks everyone. I found a landscape supplier that can truck soils and mulches in bulk, so I may go there to see what they have. They do have something called 'flower mix' which is supposed to be great for roses. I will know more at the end of this week what I'm going to be left with. They are putting in new curbs today and should be almost done by the end of the week. At least no more heavy equipment in the yard.

  • Kimmsr
    9 years ago

    Soil is composed of the mineral (sand, silt, clay) portion and organic matter. Terms such as "topsoil", "garden soil", "flower mix", are meaningless unless well defined. I have found, over many years, that many people think "topsoil" and loam are the same thing when they are not. :Loam is a specific soil type, "topsoil" is just the top 4 to 6 inches of soil from someplace that may, or may not, contain some organic matter.
    So, some "landscaper" sells a fairly decent soil mix (92 to 95 percent mineral and 5 to 8 percent organic matter) usually about 4 inches on top of soil with little to no organic matter. Simply not enough good soil for any plant that roots deeper then 4 inches. So that 5 to 8 percent organic matter quickly turns into not nearly enough.
    Most soils I have looked at over the last 50. or so years, have more then enough of the mineral (the sand, silt, and clay) and lacked adequate amounts of organic matter.
    What the soil you have needs is organic matter, not more of the mineral portion of what makes up soil.

  • buford
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Kim. I'm not under any illusion that just putting this soil down is going to give me great growing conditions. It's just a start. The county is putting down something called 'Georgia Top Soil', which is native clay screened to make it more pliable. Ironically I could be getting some of my own soil back since they get the soil from construction sites. What I would like to do, ideally, is mix the organic material I can scrounge up and the Flower Mix soil and till that in to about 6 inches. Then possible top that off with more Flower mix, plant the anchor plants and then mulch it with more organic material. Then over time, I will be adding amendments regularly so eventually I will have good soil, as I did have in the beds I have already worked on. Even If I add a lot of OM, we know that it's fungible and more has to be added over time.

    Raising the bed slightly would probably help. I do want a border around the main bed so it makes edging the darn bermuda grass easier.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Green Brothers Atlanta Flower Mix

  • Kimmsr
    9 years ago

    Organic matter is the one part of the soil equation that constantly does need to be replaced because the Soil Food Web digests it to feed the plants growing in that soil, some say the OM "disappears" when it gets converted to something, nutrients, else. Bu\t, organic matter does much more in soil, In clay soils, organic matter separates the particles, and helps change the particle charge, so moisture, nutrients, and plant roots can move about more freely and the plants can uptake needed nutrients and moisture more easily. In clay organic matter also helps move excess water through better so plants do not drown.
    In sand organic matter fills in the pore spaces and helps hold both moisture and nutrients in the rhizosphere so those are available to the plants trying to grow in that sand.
    You have more than enough of the mineral portion osf soil and do not need more, but you do need much more organic matter..

  • nancyjane_gardener
    9 years ago

    OMG! I'm hoping the county is paying for the re-construction of your yard!
    Many County refuse (dumps) places have compost materials for sale (ours are certified organic). I would INSIST that the county pay for any equipment rental and as much compost needed, in fact plant replacement also, for that much of an intrusion of your property!
    OTOH, you did get rid of those pesky trees you didn't like! Nancy

  • buford
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    They have levelled and sodded the back yard and part of the front. I did have to go out and try to explain to the people that were doing the sodding (they only spoke Spanish...) how I wanted the sod. Luckily I had a picture and explained how I wanted the circle bed in the middle and we measured it out. I did realize that I forgot to account for the stone border that I'm putting in, so I may have to remove the first ring of sod. I do have places that I can use it. It's raining today, so I'm hoping that helps the sod and the clay soil. I let them put the black mulch down, even though I don't like it, but it was free so...

    here is the back, they still have to add more pine straw:

    {{gwi:314752}}

    I was able to outline this corner when they left so they put the sod in the right place:

    {{gwi:314753}}

    Some free 'organic material' from my neighbors dog:

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    The new center bed laid out:

    {{gwi:314755}}

  • buford
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    kimmsr, yes, I am always added OM to my beds. Most of them are good because I've been adding OM for years. So i do think I need a head start on these new beds.

    Nancy, the county will do so much. They will re-level and sod. They will bring in what they call 'top soil', which is pretty good soil, just not what we would like'. They have also rebuilt the fence that came down. They will also replace plants, but only 5-7 gallon size. But I was able to keep my maple tree and most everything else I wanted.

    I am going to probably buy a truckload or so of good soil to get a start. The big new bed didn't have great soil anyway, so I can't fault the country for that. Most of the area they dug up was just sod, so it's not that much of an issue. I'm taking advantage of the situation to redo my yard, so I don't mind spending some $$ to get it right.

  • FrancoiseFromAix
    9 years ago

    Buford,

    I appreciate that you're going on informing. Sometimes people ask a question and then they don't go on telling the end of the story and I find it frustrating. It's like a cliffhanger in Desperate Compost People and then no more season ;-)
    Hence thank you !

    Considering the first photos of the compacted clay, the last ones show an improvement ! Don't forget to add some food here and there to attract your nice four legged neighbor, he'll gratefully go on offering free OM ;-) Only round here can we get such a nice close up of OM and not feel offended !

  • buford
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you Francoise, We did have a good rain on Monday, and the ground is saturated, so much so that I was sinking in it when I stepped on it. As long as it's covered with either mulch or sod, it should nice and soft when I finally get to work with it, hopefully this weekend. Clay is like that. Hard as cement one day, you get rain, and then it's nice and soft.

  • toxcrusadr
    9 years ago

    Recently disturbed soil will be extra soft because it hasn't gotten set in place and naturally compacted and arranged itself into a stable structure. It's amazing what moisture, disturbance and vehicle traffic can do. :-o