help! Clay soil issues

[peppermint66]

We have clay soil here and I am having difficutly growing carrots and beets. They are the only two veggies my husband requests fromt he garden every year. Most other veggies do well here. Does anyone know of varieties that grow better in clay soil? or is there something i can do to the soil to help growth? Im tired of harvesting baby carrots and puny beets!

[sinopa27]

i have the same problem cause I have that red clay soil. I finally gave up and started doing root vegetables in containers. Great results!!
I hope someone can help us both!

[Spirit Deer]

Containers, or raised beds. Be sure to fertilize because the plants won't be able to draw nutrients from native soil.

Keep an open mind when it comes to the definition of 'container.' We use old washtubs, smallish metal trash cans missing their lids, re-purposed stainless steel sinks, and other weird stuff. Be sure to drill drainage holes in the bottom. It's amazing what you can find free or cheap if you use your imagination.

[Durgan]

We have clay soil here and I am having difficutly growing carrots and beets. They are the only two veggies my husband requests fromt he garden every year. Most other veggies do well here. Does anyone know of varieties that grow better in clay soil? or is there something i can do to the soil to help growth? Im tired of harvesting baby carrots and puny beets!

Simple solution, but it entails a bit work.

Make a mesh screen 1/2 inch mesh on a frame about two feet by three feet. This screening is available in most respectable hardware stores.

Place the mesh on the top of your wheelbarrow. Select an area by about 4 feet by 6 feet in your garden and dig down about eight inches and strain the clay soil through the screen and replace. Even mix a little sand during the process if you have some. This will loosen the soil up in the selected area. It sound like a lot of work but it really isn't much once you get started.

Plant the carrot seed carefully about two inches apart under a board until they germinate. This is area planting not in a row. Do the same for the beets. Do this carefully so you do not have to initiate thinning when the plants start to grow, Thinning is a pain. The board prevents the seeds from drying out on a hot sunny day, and the seeds can be indirectly watered by splashing water on the board.

I guarantee you will have beautiful beets and carrots and a large number in the area planting method.

Now to improve you soil in the long term, apply compost in great quantity and mix in. This is after you have adequate drainage, which I assume you have.

[Contrary Housewife]

I have clay soil and I do not advise mixing in more sand. What you want to add is compost and lots of it. We have been working our garden plot for years, adding more compost each year and breaking up the clay. It is still pretty lumpy but we can grow carrots.

There are varieties of carrots for clay soil, check the seed catalogs. I got one several years ago, they grow about 5" long but the same size around as regular carrots and they are delicious. I don't remember the name though.

[krbshappy71]

I used a blue plastic kiddie pool, free from free cycle, for my container garden. We have clay soil and I was in no mood to try and create a garden in it. It has worked! Might not be deep enough for your needs, though, but it was sure easy!