Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Apr 14, 2011 8:56 pm I have recently moved to Doreen in Vic and have spent the best part of the last 3 months carting dirt into my block. It was just clay and I have rotary hoed some gypsum through it, left it sit for a month or so, and then added soil with mushroom compost. This soil is at least 10cms thick in most places. I then used a roller to compact it down a little. Then came the rain!! Previously, pre dirt, my yard would flood with a small shower of rain and take a week to dry out (the clay). I was super-impressed to find that with all of the rain we got over the weekend there was a small puddle whilst it was raining but then it drained away. Here is my problem, I dug a few small holes today to plant a few plants and just under the surface the dirt is really runny mud! I now cant walk in my yard, it is so muddy, slushy. How do I dry out my soil?? Under the surface? I am figuring that the water drains through the dirt I put down but still gets to the clay eventually and then pools above that (if possible). Have others had the same problem? What should I do with it? I haven't planted plants out the back yet and not sure if I should. Thanks in advance Re: Over wet soil 2Apr 14, 2011 9:58 pm The layered soil is your problem. The 10cm of nice free draining soil lets the water through until it hits the clay base then just pools again. You need to dig and mix the new and old soils together to a good spade depth 30-40cm. Deeper means less puddles. You could also raise the planting areas to get that extra height so the plant roots arent sitting in water. Re: Over wet soil 3Apr 14, 2011 11:16 pm It is the use of the soil amendments like the perlite and spongolite that help in these situations also. B is spot on, layering of soils might get the job done fast but will create more headaches that its worth. Vast increases in pest, disease and watering requirements. Why 30-40cm? Because that is the layer of soil that plant roots most effectively get moisture and nutrients. It is also the layer of soil that microbes inhabit. No microbes (or low microbe populations = a heap of plant problems.) In 10cm, the heat and cold extremes will have a tremendous impact on microbe populations keeping them low The roots grow shallow and don't form well. It all happens like how the Geisha bind their feet and restrict growth. Re: Over wet soil 4Apr 15, 2011 7:55 am This is very interesting. bj76, how deep did you work/hoe your soil? BTW Fu, I have just noticed on the SeaMungus packaging that it says "Retains 70% of its own weight in moisture" - so does this mean that SeaMungus acts like the water granules?? My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Over wet soil 5Apr 15, 2011 8:26 am For those interested, some of the flooding in regional victoria was caused by similar problem. The soil can be quite free draining in areas with a clay base around half a metre or so under. After having a couple of years worth of rain in a few months the water built up on the clay base and slowly shifted to the lowest point leaving houses and land under water for weeks on end. Over wet soil 7Apr 15, 2011 10:24 am It's only initial. It's an organic compound and that is broken down. It is very short term in the scheme of things. The benefits far out weigh the moisture holding in this case Over wet soil 8Apr 15, 2011 10:31 am BJ76 have a read of threads like the turf laying threads. I have also done lots of posts and threads on soil prep. They will also be an excellent guide of how to start again once things dry out. Re: Over wet soil 9Apr 15, 2011 10:51 am Lex :shock: I guess it would help if the land slopes away? I mean, the water cannot be retained, even if it's hard clay under? My property slopes and yes it does help a lot. Re: Over wet soil 11Apr 15, 2011 8:35 pm Thank you all for taking the time to help me. I have been a bit of a lurker here and read the soil/turf prep threads and thought I was doing well. Admittedly I hadnt got to adding the soil additives, but I certainly rotary hoed the gypsum in 4-5 times around my whole yard, obviously this takes some time to work on the clay though. Something certainly needs to be done if you can stir your dirt!! I went to try and find some zeolite near me before I trek out to BAAG but couldnt find any. When I was asking for it, the guy did ask me what for and then advised me to put some sand through it. Would this help? I have a REALLY flat block but have made my dirt slope away from my slab and out towards my boundaries (to protect my slab from moisture). I have full eaves around my house and under the eaves the dirt is still dry. I know it was excessive rain in a short period but it still shouldnt have made my yard into one big mud pie! Would the fact that there is no plants or grass be meaning there is nothing to draw the moisture out of the dirt? I understand it is really not ideal to have anything growing in it, and get the bit about the short root development but I am wondering if it could also be contributing. I am off to BAAG tomorrow and will be grabbing some organic mulch while I am there for my front yard. You guys are very helpful so thank you. Brodie Re: Over wet soil 12Apr 15, 2011 9:48 pm Brodie I got my zeolite from BAAG at this time last year so they used to have it! They even had a lady working there who was on the same wavelength as Fu!!! Amazing!! Ask again for it! I was there last week and where they used to store it is now a garden so definitely ask! Also did you rotary how the new soil into the old soil?? Gypsum can take some 5 years to work, you are better of using Powerfeed on the soil, yes it's adding my water but it will work a lot quicker!! 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Over wet soil 13Apr 15, 2011 10:05 pm Ring baag before heading out and ask if they have zeolite, they get shipments in regulary but sell out quick. And their mulch selection isnt great to be honest, hammer milled pine bark is probably the best they have. Re: Over wet soil 14Apr 16, 2011 1:34 pm Thanks guys, I went out there this morning and I got two 25kg bags, it was around the corner inside. I also got some of that milled mulch for th egarden beds and a bit of organic compost. It is near impossible to even walk through my yard with losing my boots, bloody frustrating when I dont have this problem in my front yard and I have done nothing different- I s'pose it has a bit more of a slope. Thanks for your help again, BAAG is dangerous- good range of plants too. Re: Over wet soil 15Apr 16, 2011 3:52 pm Once you get some garden beds and turf down it will make a huge difference. The rain we have had is very unusual and the wettest on record so don't stress its not going to be like this too often in our lifetimes. Re: Over wet soil 16Apr 20, 2011 11:43 pm gypsum won't only take 3 years to do anything but it isn't effective in all clays WOFTAM Re: Over wet soil 17Apr 20, 2011 11:44 pm perlite and spongolite are the go also. Very important, help the heavier soils to aerate and dry a little better. Helps nutrients stay put when the rain starts chucking down too. .... aahhh rain... what the hell is that stuff?????? All sorted guys. Just needed to buy a blade with the correct bush. Dunno how to delete this post, can't find any help file. Cheers. 1 3663 I am not sure whether Perth has its own way of doing things in regards to this. 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