Re: Rocky Clay & Perennials


>We are now in a new home with a new lawn.  The ground is clay (red,
>sticky clay) with a lot of rocks.  We are on the northern edge of the St.
>Francois Mountains in Missouri.  No, this is not a large mountain chain,
>but it is hilly for norther Missouri.  Trees, ferns, etc. are growing in
>the area.  When I went to put my bulbs in I struck rock.  I tried to
>remove as much as I could and line the holes with top soil.  Does anyone
>have any other suggestions?
>

Ilive in southwestern IL near St. Louis and have lots of clay and a long
gravel driveway that has spent years migrating into the lawn.  We have been
here just over 1 year and I have several suggestions:

1)  Get a mattock!  Its a digging tool that looks a little like a pick axe.
Costs about $20.  Works great in rocky soil.  We dig up a section, pick
out the rocks and put the dirt back.

2) Find thee a pickup truck load of manure.  At least as much as you can.
Even if you can only get a trashbag at a time, do it!  Dig it right in to
those beds you just dug.  If you can't get manure, get straw, get hay if
you have to.  Hay will be weedy, but at least it will be weeds in good
dirt.

3) Don't make little in-ground "pots" of topsoil.  I have heard this called
the equivalent of making a bathtub.  The plants are trapped in the topsoil
and so is any rain-everything rots.

4) Start with natives.  MO has a lot of great native plants that thrive in
rocky clay.  Prairie Plants and lots of woodies.  See Gary Hightshoe's
_Native Trees, shrubs and Vines for Urban and Rural America_.  Its and
expensive book, so look in the library first.  Lots of cultural and timing
data.

5)  We planted lots of daffodils right into the clay, just made sure to
plant on hillsides for drainage.  The daffodils came through a wet winter
just fine.  Try it at your site.  Get the mattock and dig a wide hole- big
enough to plant 20 or 50 bulbs at once.  Its easier than trying to punch
holes one at a time.

Good Luck

Lisa


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