I'm starting a flower bed in my new backyard, but I hit a snag! When I dug a hole, I found that the builder had just covered it with junk. The hole is about a foot deep and it's just solid clay. I plan to plant hydrangeas there and thought I could mix in some potting soil, but after heavy rain, the hole filled with water and hasn't drained in over 10 hours. It seems like the compact clay isn't allowing for any aeration. What should I do? I already have the hydrangeas ready to go!
2 Answers
If you're worried about drainage, you might want to consider adding some perlite or coarse sand to your mix. This will help open things up in that compact clay. Just remember to plant your hydrangeas a little higher than the surrounding soil to keep their roots from sitting in water. Good luck!
A great tip is to dig your hole three times wider than the root ball and mix in plenty of organic matter, like compost. Think of it as building a pot in that hard clay! Also, make sure to rough up the sides of the hole; a smooth surface can limit root growth. And just a heads up, I’d skip the potting mix for this situation. You want something that will actually improve drainage and aeration.