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Growing Baccy In Ga Clay

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JasonO

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Hi Guys. Wondering if anyone has experience and tips for growing baccy in ga clay.
Use to grow a few plants in Fl before I moved for my occasional smoke.
Tried putting out a few plants last year with no luck. They were fully developed in pots before putting out and I was expecting good growth. Instead they did nothing and finally died or were eaten by something. Im wondering if the hard clay prevent the roots from spreading out? Never had that issue with the sandy soil back in orlando.
Would like to get things going as I tasted a few of the plants that I grew in my sunroom over winter and they were the best tasting that Ive ever grown. Seed were from GRIN a few years back.
Thanks.
 

Knucklehead

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That sounds like my dirt. Soft and squishy when wet, concrete when dry. It may take a while working with it to get it like you want it. Plant some crimson clover in the fall and turn it into the soil in the spring. Work some leaves, peat moss and dry manure into the soil. Some sand won't hurt either. Start a compost pile and compost your leftover food, leaves, grass clippings, etc. This is my first year and what I've been doing this year is dig a hole for each plant and work in some Miracle Grow potting soil in the dirt.
 

Webby

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Hi Jason,
Where I'm at we have a lot of sedimentary clay rock and luckily a load of good top soil too.
I did plant a patch (dog leg garden in my blog) in the clay. I turned in compost and sand and came away with a thick chalky leaf with not to great a flavor.
As Knucks says, time will be the key. I think if I was to add a little more effort this season that bed would light up.
If you are composting dont forget ya carbon, wood chips, twigs. But time will be the key.
Luck Bro

btw. could you post your location to get a better idea of your weather there too.
 
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workhorse_01

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I understand your problems! I moved to waycross from Fort Myers. This is a different type of dirt to grow in. I've done well and I've done poor. You need to bust that clay with a disc harrow, or a roto tiller.Then you need to work in something to aeriate the soil. There is a lot of tobacco growing in red clay around here and the big guys do quite well. I'm sure you will to. Where in Ga. are you?
 

Chicken

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they grow a lot of tobacco, in southern ga. i know .

if you tilled your clay up . i guess it woudld be fine, as long as you dont have what i call '' gumbo clay'' as long as its a little sandy, as a lot of ga. clay has been ive seen, was . then i guess you could grow it,

or you could do as i do,

.........i remove the '' sand'' [ my soil type in n. fla. ] and replace it, with a soil combo i make,, '' chicken poo... cow,,,bat....horse...e.t.c. '' mixed with some wood shavings,,, mixed with some fine soil ive found elsewhere, and gathered in a 5 galon bucket''

the whole garden spot can be poor, as long as the '' hole'' the plant will be feeding on is... '' UPGRADED'' youll be fine,
 

DGBAMA

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Till in loss of organic matter and be patient. Takes a couple seasons but that clay will break up.

If you find a tree service working in your area ask if they need a local place to dump their woodchips. Freebie. I now have grass in an area that was too hard to grow anything thanks to this.
 

johnlee1933

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Till in loss of organic matter and be patient. Takes a couple seasons but that clay will break up.

If you find a tree service working in your area ask if they need a local place to dump their woodchips. Freebie. I now have grass in an area that was too hard to grow anything thanks to this.
Agreed I did just the same thing years ago in eastern PA. LOTS of chopped up trees and a bit of time did the trick.
 
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