Plant Doctor Archive

New garden site

WE are building on an excavated site, resulting in solid clay for my gardens. We realise we will have to bring in topsoil, but what else can we do to hasten the clay breakdown?

PUTTING in a new garden on an excavated site is always a challenge. Make sure you get in clean fill or topsoil. There is nothing worse than finding out in spring that you have a host of new weeds to contend with.

It may pay to wait for a couple of weeks after putting down the new topsoil before you sow a lawn. This way you can spray or pull out weeds without disturbing your new lawn.

If you want to break down clay, then you can use either Yates Claybuster or Liquid Claybreaker. The Claybuster is a compost-based product to dig into your soil. The Claybreaker is a hose-on product that you spray on to the ground to help break down the clay. You can also use gypsum and lots of compost to improve your soil.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.