# Clay? Digging it out?



## NorthernGuy (Jul 19, 2015)

So i just found out my grow area has about half a foot of soil/dirt and then clay under. How big should I dig out the clay? I have three about 2 foot by 2 1/2 deep I'm going to put in a mixture of sand top soil clay and some rocks I found on cl for free. (since I have 33 plants i cant afford to buy much).

Any advice? I know I probably shouldn't be using random soil and what not but my options are limited. There was another ad for "black mineral top soil screened" for 20$ and says he can load up a truck so I'm getting a good amount. Even if i needed to spend 40 id be ok with that.


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## NorthernGuy (Jul 19, 2015)

Can I do a like 60ish% topsoil with a 40ish% compost mix. Its like a 5$ bag from menards/homedepot.?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 19, 2015)

Top soil is not necessarily good dirt--around here it is not.  I doubt that for $40 you are going to be able to get what you need for 33 plants.  You will be far better off only planting as many plants as you can afford to care for right.  Cannabis is not the kind of plant that you can just plant in any old dirt and let go.  If you cannot afford good soil for 33 plants, I would recommend planting less plants.

And it is very late in the season to be putting plants outdoors....I have concerns about them having enough time to finish.


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## Rosebud (Jul 19, 2015)

Whatever dirt you end up with in the holes, you need to make sure 1/3 of it is the native soil, or clay. Clay is not necessarily bad. Clay plus sand is nice. Do the best you can, but your over all harvest will suffer if they aren't in the best dirt possible.  I would dig the hole three times bigger than your root ball. Break up all the clay and add what you have. Fill with water, to see how it drains. If it is still standing water you are going to have to use sand. or tree needles or some kind of medium to make it airy.  Then when you have a hole that drains well, plant. And pray to the hemp goddesses that it works.


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## zem (Jul 19, 2015)

well you can buy soil additives to mix with ground soil make a nice mixture of things with added labour effort you can manage to do many things with soil, if you can scour around your area for some good soil and carry that and add it to the mixture. you can also add a certain percentage of gravel and bark that is free


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## NorthernGuy (Jul 19, 2015)

These are mostly autoflowering plants. And ok. What route can I go if I have to spend money making all 33 plants work but with the cheapest/least amount of money for the better stuff I can use.


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## NorthernGuy (Jul 19, 2015)

Also that was one area I started to dig. Maybe a different area will have more soil. My dad had the forst cut years ago so I bet all the fallen trees and what not made a good soil. Looking at it now. I dug those those kind of in  a small open field near some bushes to make it look more normal. Who knows. I'll find out tomorrow.


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## NorthernGuy (Jul 19, 2015)

Would I maybe be better off buying 5 gal buckets to solve the clay prob ? I can spend more money I know it will be better in the long run


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## zem (Jul 20, 2015)

it is done to separate ground from potting soil using buckets or grobags. however if it were me, I would allow them to grow as deep and as big as they wanted in the vastness of ground soil, but that is a matter of choice. handling and maintaining individual pots may be easier on the longer run, so it is really all up to you and what you want to put into it. 
Good luck in scouring for good soil, I bet that you will find some


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## Rosebud (Jul 20, 2015)

You will need to work the soil. Forest soil? are you kidding me has to be the best mulch and dirt around. 

Work that soil, become a dirt farmer... read. get some amendments going. Get a soil test and find out what your starting with...Do this all for next year.  Too late for this year. 
If your dealing with autos, just put them in a big pot I guess with the best soil you can get.


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## zem (Jul 20, 2015)

Rosebud said:


> You will need to work the soil. Forest soil? are you kidding me has to be the best mulch and dirt around.
> 
> Work that soil, become a dirt farmer... read. get some amendments going. Get a soil test and find out what your starting with...Do this all for next year.  Too late for this year.
> If your dealing with autos, just put them in a big pot I guess with the best soil you can get.



it is one of those things that i encourage growers to do but know that i cannot do, that is working the ground, carrying soil and such, the labour involved is simply not a possibility for me to do successfully. i am simply not used to hard labour, and i worry when i have to carry a 10lb of hydro medium so 50lb soil bags would probably wear me down so fast lol if you can move soil you can make a great spot and amend the soil, make a compost pile and keep the soil fresh and healthy all year... ahhh how nice that would be if i could do it


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## Rosebud (Jul 20, 2015)

Two things, wheelbarrow and hand cart/truck. Come on Zem, if i am 63 and can do it you can do it too. I even dug holes this year. That hand truck carries my bags of soil and the wheelbarrow carries my soil I make.. 
Then i walk funny for days and live in Epsom salt baths. :vap-Bong_smoker:


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## zem (Jul 20, 2015)

Rosebud said:


> Two things, wheelbarrow and hand cart/truck. Come on Zem, if i am 63 and can do it you can do it too. I even dug holes this year. That hand truck carries my bags of soil and the wheelbarrow carries my soil I make..
> Then i walk funny for days and live in Epsom salt baths. :vap-Bong_smoker:



I maybe can do it physically but not mentally, to keep up the slow pace of soil growing altogether and knowing my skills and the ease of hydro. it's like telling a person who had been skiing since he was 6 to learn snowboarding at 33, believe me i tried that too for one day and i came back with my butt probably blue from the pain so i chose to stick to gliding the slopes on my skis lol


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