Spreaders Spreaders are a great way to evenly distribute seed and fertiliser. A variety of different types are available.’

Clay Breaker is granulated for easy use all around the garden. It can be used at any time of the year, but the best results will be obtained when applied during autumn after rough digging of the affected areas. The combined action of Clay Breaker and winter frosts will give a good soil structure for spring planting.Clay Breaker will break up even the heaviest clay, improving friability and making the soil easier to work. This process will improve drainage and enhance soil warmth for earlier crop growth.

Clay particles are amazingly dominant in a soil. This is explained by the relative size of the different particles (clay, sand and silt) that soil contains. Clay particles are very small but, because this allows more particles to fit in any given space (say 1cm cubed), they have huge surface area that dominates the physical properties of soil. In comparison, sand and silt particles are larger, so fewer particles are needed to fill a space (say 1cm cubed again). As a result, the overall surface area of sand and silt is smaller and so much less influential on determining the characteristics of a soil than the clay particles.Vitax Clay Breaker can be incorporated in to soil which will be used for vegetables and flowers. It can also be used for lawns.

NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Ulster Bank, which are all part of the NatWest Group, will now shut at least 172 of their bank branches in 2023 and 2024. Soil improvement: For general soil improvement, fork a 2.5cm (1") layer of Levington Organic Blend Soil Conditioner into the top 10cm (4") of soil. Even where a clay soil contains for example 40 percent clay particles (a relatively modest content compared to heavy clay soils), the proportion of clay in the top cultivated part of the soil would have to be reduced by half to make the soil easy to work. This would require 250kg per sq m (460lbs per sq yd) of grit or gravel. Adding materials to clay can also make the clay less stable, so the soil becomes harder to manage. Experimenting on a small scale at first is recommended to be sure that any additions are worthwhile and won't have damaging effects on workability of the soil."Vitax is the name of the company that market a range of products. The most common is a balanced feed, originally granular but now pelleted as far as retail trade is concerned. It is very similar to John Innes Base Fertiliser and akin to blood fish and bone. I cannot see its relevance to clay soil and its problems. Clay is noted for its ability to retain nutrients which are released more readily once the platelets are seperated and a crumb structure obtained which can be achieved in a combination of several ways such as bulky manure, sharp gritty sand, winter weathering (temporary) or liming if the pH is low. There are proprietary clay busters. If the Vitax that you mention is indeed one of these then follow the instructions. Do you have a Power of Attorney? MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis explains how this crucial protection works, why it's more important than a will, and how to get one in the latest episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

Planting roses, tree and shrubs: When planting mix one part Farmyard manure with two parts of the soil from the hole, place the plant in and then use the same mix to fill in around the sides and firm down the soil and water well. Soil Conditioner: Spread an even layer of 5-8cm deep over the soil and fork to a depth of 15-20cm. On light sandy soils this application will help retain moisture and improve the organic matter content of the soilIn practice what this means is: to dilute the proportion of clay in a heavy soil requires very large volumes of grit or other material. It is seldom feasible to do this on anything but a small scale and, for most gardeners, other options such as raised beds, adding organic matter and choosing plants that thrive in clays are more practical. Martin Lewis: Do you have a Power of Attorney? It’s crucial protection – not just for the elderly – and more important than a will