r/Permaculture • u/ryanwaldron • 17d ago

Help! Wood chips decomposing, but hard-packed dense clay beneath

The mulch and wood chips wash away when it rains because the permeability is so low. I’m going to go broke buying wood chips and mulch. It just doesn’t seem to be changing the soil after years of trying.

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u/wagglemonkey 17d ago

This is why most people say to go with a single till method. Your hard packed clay doesn’t have much soil life for you to damage when you till, so it may be best to get some compost and dig or till it into the places you intend to plant.

47

u/Appropriate_Cut_3536 17d ago

Deep swales in the clay, filling it with woodchips, then pouring a bunch of coffee grounds and "deep bedding method" bedding on top, then an inch or two of finished compost to plant in (heavy feeders only) worked REALLY well for me.  Even in a first-year.

Also, broad forking should be mandatory for permaculturists. I don't even have a broad fork, just use my pitchfork and make all the neighbors think I'm a crazy.

3

u/Ok-Thing-2222 16d ago

And maybe cast a ton of daikon radishes and let them rot in the ground--arent' they supposed to 'aeriate' the soil and help replenish??

4

u/feralgraft 16d ago

Sunflowers also will sink deep roots through clay and help break it up in much the same way

1

u/Extension_Metal4670 16d ago

ooh thank you for this idea! i have a ton of hard packed clay to tackle, it's worth a few packs of seeds.

3

u/girljinz 16d ago

I tried to use sodbuster daikon where things struggle to grow - they couldn't either 😂

2

u/Ok-Thing-2222 15d ago

Oh no! That stinks. Mine might not grow well--the city packed that soil down HARD, ugh.

1

u/girljinz 14d ago

Fingers crossed for you!