can I make a molehill out of a mountain ?

[thelma]

Hi
We have moved house, with a good sized garden, but it looks like when the builders built the row of houses over the back of our garden, they have used the back half of our garden to dump a mountain of clay. Over time the years, it has grown loads of brambles and bindweed.

When we decided to buy, the idea was to get a digger in, and remove it.
But circumstances meant we had more urgent work to deal with water springs and lowering the concrete arround the damproof course of the house, and other things.
We then discovered that a digger will not fit down the side of the house, (a mini digger is 1 inch too wide).
My husband is filling skip after skip by hand, and it's an impossible task, so he has started landskaping and terracing on it.
I've been experimenting, the surface has been broken down by the winter, and if I tread and do the twist on it, it breaks down into a powder. If I do this, and then mix it in with good soil, I imagine it will be ok, but what racio of clay to soil can I use, before it's no good for fruit and veg growing ?
Yes I know it will take me years to do, but if I aim to make raised beds, a little at a time, might get something out of it.
I always compost, and will add that.

Regards
Thelma

[gardening_guru]

Hello Thelma,

I think the answer is to mix as much good soil with the clay as possible but the organic matter - compost or manure will be the best way to improve the situation. Also as soon as is possible, start growing crops of potatoes on the site, they will do wonders for the structure of the soil.

[thelma]

Hi guru
Thank you for your reply.
I was hoping to plant some fruit trees along the back, that I'd already bought. I have put them in big plant pots for now. I have an apricot, cooking apple, morrello cherry, and a self seeded plum. Appart from the plum, the others are on semi dawf stock. (I also have apple and pears proper planted elsewhere in the garden).
Do you think these trees in pots will be ok, until the spuds come out ?

Regards
Thelma

[gardening_guru]

Hello Thelma,

It will be fine for the fruit trees to remain in the pots until you want to plant them. Obviously the main concern is watering, especially if we have a dry summer. A soil based compost will retain more mositure than a general purpose compost.

[thelma]

Hi Guru

Thank you for your reply. I potted them with a 50-50 mix of soil and general purpose compost, I trust that will be ok. If not, please tell me.

Regards
Thelma