Topsoil help please!

help!!!

after having enough of the clay soil in my garden I have started to dig some of it up to introduce plants that require good drainage.

i have dug various 12 inch deep areas but now have a dilemma.

can I fill these areas with jut unscreened topsoil or do I have to get screened as we'll because filing screened this deep will just cause mud baths (due to having little stones in etc)???

 

Hello Lee and welcome to GC. If I could suggest a more drastic course of action?
Try to get hold of some horticultural grit and farmyard manure or cheap soil improver then dig them into the bottom of your holes to another spade depth, and mix some in with the topsoil that you're going to fill in with. Clay soil tends to form watertight 'holes', so you need to make sure that water won't collect in the areas that you've improved. It's a lot of work initially, but it will pay off

 

Many thanks noisette47.

Would you recommend for another option to be to leave it as it is and mix in compost and manure to try and break it up. Just thinking that I am possibly creating holes surrounded by clay pots if you get what I mean?

I have a massive amount of horse manure at my disposal. Would this help. It is not well rotted, a mixture of fresh stuff and stuff a couple of months old