"rick" wrote in message
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I have very bad ground .... it was a selfbuild site that was land built up
by over 20' back in 30's to become a railway sidings .... what they built
it up with is steel works slag & subsoil from nearby A road they were
digging through a hill.
Disused since 60's it became a SelfBuild site.

For my main veg plots I built up high raised beds and imported soil ...
and over a couple of years with loads of manure & sharp sand have got this
to good condition and very fertile.
But for borders and ground level beds ... although I dug out the 'sub
soil' to a depth of 24' and put in imported soil it is very heavy - with
high clay content, gets waterlogged.

Due to established plants SWMBO won't let me Rotavate it so mass addition
of anything is not an option.
I have come up with a plan B

I bought a hand operated 4" diameter Auger ... and have the idea that
every 2' or so will bore put a 4" hole around 2' deep and fill it with
sharp sand ... and top the last 2" with good loam.
Physically tried it and it bores the holes easily.

My thought being 2 fold ... vertical drainage will allow (by hydrostatic
pressure) water to seep into the sand filled 'tubes'

Yes.

and help drain the ground.

Nope, it would stay in those sand filled 'tubes'

and secondly over time the sand will mix in with soil by worm action etc.
,,, and improve the soil.

Its far from clear that the worms would have
any interest in those sand filled 'tubes'

Anybody see any issues with this €¦.

Yep, can't see it working.

And maybe any improvement €¦.

Cant see any viable alternative to traditional horizontal
drains with the associated difficulty of putting those in
there now when SWMBO doesnt want it disturbed now.

maybe something other than just sharp sand into the holes ?

Even decent soil or compost isnt going to do anything for
the waterlogging. It would certainly be more likely to see
the worms interested in it tho and so may at least in theory
end up mixing that in with the current stuff over time, but
its far from clear how quickly that would happen and if it
would give you any improvement in your lifetime remaining.

If it was mine, I'd cut to the chase, install drains properly and
replant and re-establish the plants that SWMBO wants again,
but then I dont not within bobbitting range of SWMBO.