Bock-Bock-Bagock
Songster
TLDR Version: Hard clay and rock ground. Gets super wet when it rains a lot. Does drain eventually though. Gets full sun in most of the area. What can I Grow here? If I can't get veggies going I might just make a fruit tree orchard next year.
Full Story:
I have this space I want to try to grow something in. It's 60% rocks held together by clay. My dad tilled the area to loosen it all up. As you can see, it gets flooded when it rains. I'm in central Tennessee. So you know the rains we've had in the areas the last few days.
It seems people do a lot of corn, which is something I am trying in the back area. I put in some potatoes closer to the front in the picture where you see the trenches. I'm kind of worried they are just going to drown now. I did put in trenches for drainage, which it is doing now. But so much rain is dropping. Which should be less of an issue in the summer.
I put in carrots, radishes, broccoli, lettuce, and cabbage. All of which I read can handle clay soil. So far none of them have sprouted a thing. It's been about 3 weeks.
I wanted to try sunflowers mixed in with the corn. I wanted to do cucumbers where you see the cattle panels. Under the cucumbers, I wanted to get some shade plants going. Maybe broccoli and lettuce or herbs. Closer to the raised beds I wanted to try different peppers.
The previous years I've used raised beds, but soil is expensive and I can only do so many a year. Then the raised beds fall apart. This year I am trying to figure out what can grow well in the soil and lean into those plants. If I can't get a good harvest from this I may just start planting fruit trees in the area.
Any suggestions?
Full Story:
I have this space I want to try to grow something in. It's 60% rocks held together by clay. My dad tilled the area to loosen it all up. As you can see, it gets flooded when it rains. I'm in central Tennessee. So you know the rains we've had in the areas the last few days.
It seems people do a lot of corn, which is something I am trying in the back area. I put in some potatoes closer to the front in the picture where you see the trenches. I'm kind of worried they are just going to drown now. I did put in trenches for drainage, which it is doing now. But so much rain is dropping. Which should be less of an issue in the summer.
I put in carrots, radishes, broccoli, lettuce, and cabbage. All of which I read can handle clay soil. So far none of them have sprouted a thing. It's been about 3 weeks.
I wanted to try sunflowers mixed in with the corn. I wanted to do cucumbers where you see the cattle panels. Under the cucumbers, I wanted to get some shade plants going. Maybe broccoli and lettuce or herbs. Closer to the raised beds I wanted to try different peppers.
The previous years I've used raised beds, but soil is expensive and I can only do so many a year. Then the raised beds fall apart. This year I am trying to figure out what can grow well in the soil and lean into those plants. If I can't get a good harvest from this I may just start planting fruit trees in the area.
Any suggestions?