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A heads up for anyone trying to grow tomatoes in heavy clay soil
After two seasons of pitiful yields, I finally switched from just digging in a bag of compost to building a proper 12-inch raised bed filled with a 50/50 mix of topsoil and compost, and the difference in root health and fruit production this year has been absolutely night and day.
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daniel_wood7mo ago
Raised beds are a total game changer for clay soil because they let you control the drainage completely. You can even add a layer of gravel at the very bottom for extra insurance against waterlogging. It's more work upfront, but the payoff in healthy plants is totally worth it.
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verawhite7mo ago
Honestly, I built my first raised bed last spring and the amount of clay I dug out could have started a pottery studio. Tbh, I was so proud of it I took like a hundred pictures. Ngl, my back still hurts just thinking about moving all that soil, but you're totally right about the plants. Everything just went nuts in there compared to the sad stuff in the ground.
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alex3077mo ago
Did you try @daniel_wood's gravel tip at the bottom?
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