Any body pratice double digging or layered craters?

[swampfox88]

Next growing season I am going to put in a little garden and I'm interested in creating layered craters. I live in the upstate of South Carolina and our ground is pretty much all red clay that needs a lot of love and care to have a garden worth a hoot. If you haven't heard of layered craters. It's where you dig a bed of your choice. In my case I will try for a 4'x8' @ 24" deep and you layer the bottom of the "crater" with little sticks and dead branches to allow an air pocket on the bottom. Then you add about a 4" layer of browns...dead leaves, pine needles..etc, next a 3" layer of greens....Manure,food scraps. Next you add a layer of soil. Then you hose it down good with water and repeat the process until you have filled the "crater" about 3" above ground level..then you can either turn the pile every now and again or let it decompose on it's own. Repeat the process all during the fall and winter...Then plant the next spring use plenty of organic mulch..after the growing season is over keep on doing the same thing. Over and Over again. Once you get a good bed you start a new one...Anyone ever heard of this method or tried something similar??? If anyone is interested I will post pics and keep ya'll up dated.

[soldim]

I've hard about similar methods, and having an all clay soil tried this kind of stuff to improve quality (didn't use quite that many layers though ). Apart from being somewhat laborsome the amount of organic material you need to get your hands on is quite impressive. I'd recommend to start of relatively small -- your 4' x 8' bed sounds reasonable.


Best of luck and keep us updated!

[histopicker]

I have done something very similar on the black clay in Texas. I built what is called a "Key hole garden". It is basically the same thing you described with a few variations, it worked very well. One thing you have to consider anytime you work with clay soils is they hold water. If you don't provide drainage out of your pit, water will hold there and drown your plants. Over the years I have found it is always better to build my garden beds on top of clay soil rather than in it. Just some advice from an old timer.

[histopicker]

I have done something very similar on the black clay in Texas. I built what is called a "Key hole garden". It is basically the same thing you described with a few variations, it worked very well. One thing you have to consider anytime you work with clay soils is they hold water. If you don't provide drainage out of your pit, water will hold there and drown your plants. Over the years I have found it is always better to build my garden beds on top of clay soil rather than in it. Just some advice from an old timer.

[swampfox88]

Thanks for the advice histopicker before I do all that digging..lol

[farmertrappe]

I have fond memories of me and my brother having to double dig my fathers garden every spring. We would spread about 8 inches of composted horse manure one Sunday after work. The next Sunday we would have to double dig a area about 40X80 after working all weekend. But the old man loved that garden and the system worked well. I had no idea what a tiller or log splitter was till I was 21.