I have been collecting bagged grass-clippings from the neighbors and use them as mulch. Worked great, it zaps out the weeds, plus supply nitrogen to nearby bushes. Some fantastic experience from other people who use grass-clippings to soften hard clay. The lasagna method is best. I once layered pine-bark-mulch (pH 4), then top soil on top. Months later, I dug up and the soil was so crumbly .. much better than if I had mixed in. The Lasagna method takes time, but doesn't disturb the worms.

garasaki(z5 IA)

I live in a house built in 2004, as such, much of the soil nearby the house is heavy clay...the stuff at the bottom of the hole they dug for the foundation. It's not particularly nice dirt to work with.

My first experience with gardening my own property was putting down some roses with huge sentimental value near my house. I just dug a hole and put them in, didn't even eliminate the grass from the area right away. I figured that grass had to go though, so to eliminate the grass, I started layering grass clippings from my lawnmower around the base of the rose bushes. A few months later, I topped the clippings with a layer topsoil and manure (2 or 3 inches deep), then hardwood mulch. The bed was ugly, not even edged, but I was satisfied that it was at least functional (this was last June about that I made the bed, June 2005).

Fastforward to a week ago (oct 2005). I was ready to make a real bed in the area, which basically meant I had to clean up the edge real good. The only difference between this area and any other part of my yard were 3 things: Roses, grass clippings and other soil amendments, and the fact that I deep water my roses 2 or 3 or even 4 times a week.

The soil I dug up to create an edge adjacent to the roses was soft, crumbly, to the point where if you grabbed a handful, it would try to fall out of your hands and even out from between your fingers.

Only a few feet away, where I had not watered all summer and no plants where there, the clay soil was like concrete. It was rock hard, and would not crumble...you could pick up 20 pounds chunks and bigger. And to separate the chunks, you needed either a shovel or a hammer. It was a nightmare to work with this soil, and I couldn't imagine plants would take to it very well.

I was able to see a significant change in the soil structure of clay soil at my house in a 6 month period. It'll only get better from here! garasaki(z5 IA)

brenda_near_eno(Z7a)

I'm another vote for no-till. Put organics on top, layer it, deep water it, and for some reason newspaper between layers of clippings/mulch/compost/shredded paper works even better for me. I don't know if no-till works because the worms come up and till down for you, or if the runoff from the upper organic materials improves the clay as it sinks down - but it works. Definitely. The only caution I would add is that very green clippings used immediately can burn plantings (high nitrogen I think) if touching your plants. I leave a couple of inches around plants." Brenda.

adirondackgardener(Western Maine)

I never dry the grass clippings I use as mulch, I usually put down a couple of inches which is usually enough to do the trick and though they are always applied fresh, I have never had them generate heat enough to kill plants. Ever.

Though maybe I've just been lucky these past 35 years or so." Wayne

Sam: I e-mailed you about a University Extension study that wood-chips as mulch make soil more alkaline & dry, and robs soil of nitrogen. Wood-chips have ZERO nutrients, and doesn't feed earthworms.

Leaves and grass-clippings as mulch make soil fluffy & moist, plus plenty of nutrients to feed earthworms.

Last year I put lots of leaves on my front tomato bed .. and that paid off .. really soft & crumbly & moist underneath. But the back-tomato-bed where I mixed woodchips: still hard clay.

Decade ago I spent over $150 on a load of wood-chips, then the next year $200 .. later on I got free wood-chips from the village ... but my heavy clay became harder, and harder even on areas that received rain-water only.

Instead of getting free wood-chips from the village .. real nuisance to scoop those big chunks .. I simply pick up FREE bags of grass clippings from neighbors, and use them as mulch .. that will soften my clay with the sulfur released by decaying organics & plus feed the earthworms that till the soil.

It takes me 15 min. to get FREE bags of grass clippings.... I drive around early morning before the garbage truck come. But I spent at least 1/2 hour driving and scooping up wood-chips, there's poison ivy in there one year which I had to see the doc. twice for medications. Another year I walked with sandal on my wood-chip mulch, and got poked in my toe .. that hurt.

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6958

What benefits do grass clippings provide if returned to the lawn?

Grass clippings returned to the lawn provide up to 25 percent of your lawn's total fertilizer needs. Clippings contain about 4 percent nitrogen, 2 percent potassium and 1 percent phosphorus. While decomposing, they also serve indirectly as a food source for the bacteria in the soil, which are doing many beneficial things (such as decomposing thatch) for a healthy turf environment.

Exciting info :-)

I started doing the same here and I agree, it works :-)

Yay

Pippa Greenwood two weeks in a row. So rare. Along with Bob Flowerdew and Anne Swithinbank.

http://bbc.in/28LdUkW

Straw is so cool for getting more free material for the garden thanks to neighbors .

When the tree trimming truck goes by I get as much as I can. That is the best because it is all the parts of different kinds of trees. Like the guy in the movie"back to Eden "