What to do with rubble
Superhero
Posts: 53
I've started to remove a patio area and the builders used about 6 inches of sand-cement mix to create the base, plus the odd left over brick etc. While I have complacted clay I thought I could dig some of it into the clay for drainage (preferably the smaller bits not the big chunks) but what can I do with the rest? I want to also build raised beds but they are only going to be 20cm raised, should I dig some of the rubble into the bottom layer of the raised beds? How many cms of good topsoil/compost will I need for the plants to be happy?
0
Posts
Take it to the dump.
Clay is best broken up by adding layers of compost in autumn for the worms to work in over winter. Adding some pea-sized gravel will also help but not chunks of cement. Just putting raised beds over it without any work won't give good drainage.
20cm is quite shallow and should be filled with good top soil. You'll need to break up the clay with a fork and then pour on some sharp grit before filling with good soil and maybe some bought in or garden compost.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Bite the bullet, get a skip and get the rubble off site. I know there will be a cost and hard work but probably for the best.