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My Grow Areas Clay to OK

Posted: June 12th, 2009, 12:08 am
by Bretts
I have dragged out a few progression shots of the grow area I have commandeered in the back yard. It was a very sorry looking area before I got interested in bonsai. Not much would grow there and when I scrapped away all the hard crispy bark chips I found hard crispy clay.
After alot of horse manure the soil became workable and has improved immensely over the last few years.
grow area 05.JPG
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I crammed way to much into the small area and it is time for a rework this spring. I would like to put the trees aside after removal for a while so I can work the soil for a while again but I am unsure how I might do this yet?

Re: My Grow Areas Clay to OK

Posted: June 12th, 2009, 12:17 am
by aaron_tas
:lol:

love the hammock :!:

i wish i had room to grow, not sure if ill be in the same house in a couple of years so even my benches are mobile ones...

Re: My Grow Areas Clay to OK

Posted: June 12th, 2009, 12:35 am
by Bretts
Try getting up there with a long neck :)

Re: My Grow Areas Clay to OK

Posted: June 12th, 2009, 12:40 am
by Asus101
I have a large back yard so i did not need to move things.
My ground was so hard water ran off into low area and did not even get 5mm down. It was hard as a rock and it too 3 weeks of the pick axe to get through it.
Once i lifted it to a depth I was happy with, I started to turn it. Each day I spent an hour our there just turning soil. Its hard work but its calming. I added water after each turn to help break the larger lumps down. Once it was done I have added a layer of horse and cow poo as well as a trailer load of mushroom compost. I have been turning it every few days, and will add more and more until its a near black colour. You want that pleasant earthy smell and that deep almost black look. Now Ill be planting other veg around my tree's so it will function in two ways.


A trailer load of mix cow and mushroom cost 60$.

Re: My Grow Areas Clay to OK

Posted: June 12th, 2009, 12:43 am
by Bretts
After spending $140 on top dressing on the lawn of mushroom compost I have gone back to the free horse manure.

Re: My Grow Areas Clay to OK

Posted: June 12th, 2009, 7:52 am
by teejay
What an improvement, great work. You seem to at least have everything in the one place, unlike myself. My plants are scattered everywhere there's a position off the ground (dogs you see). I'm also lucky that elsewhere I have a large area of land to utilise for field growing or I'd really be in trouble.

Oh yeah, and the hammock's a great touch. :lol:

Re: My Grow Areas Clay to OK

Posted: June 12th, 2009, 8:48 am
by kcpoole
soltan wrote:Try getting up there with a long neck :)
Be wary ofd falling out of it after a few too many long necks :-)