How do you Farm on ground that is mainly clay? What can be done to make it firtile?

Answer 1

That partly depends to what scale you farm, the water table, and stuff like that. My first recommendation if it is a descent size field is that you tile it. The largest problem with clay ground is that it holds water that will drown the roots of the plants. Clay can hold a lot of nutrients and you don't need to add sand to the ground, you just need to drain it properly. If anything, you need to add organic matter and nitrogen to the ground. You can have the field sprayed with nitrogen. Growing soybeans on it will help add nitrogen to the soil and so will growing hay such as alfalfa or red clover. I personally like growing red clover hay on the soil because the root of the clover will also help break up the clay which can be hard to break up. The hay can be tilled into the ground to add more organic matter if you'd like. Also, your field may also need to be ripped with a field ripper. After so many years of plowing a "hard pan" or "fragipan" will form just below the depth of where the plow reaches. Minerals will build up at this level and create a very hard ground that won't let water pass through it. It would probably be a good idea to have your field ripped then a year later have it tiled. Ripping your soil breaks up the hard pan and brings the minerals to the top. It also allows your soil to drain better. You may also want to go to your local agricultural university and see if you can have them do a soil sampling of your fields. This will give you a better idea of how to fertilize and if you need to add lime to the fields.

For small scale gardens, add compost to the soil or plant annual (not perennial) ryegrass in the fall on the garden and till it into the ground in early spring or late fall to add organic matter. It will help keep weeds out and will add organic matter at the same time.

Answer 2

If this is for a small area you have to augment the clay. Work Lots of top or Garden soil with some cow manure into the caly Add a product like "Medina Has To Grow and cover it with about 3 inches of mulch to help retain moisture. If you don't get alot of rain water once or twice a week during early morning or evening. I have bumper crops of tomates and
and cantelopes. If you just want a couple of plants try container gardening.

Answer 3

first find some one that wants to get rid of horse crap and get all you can find pile it up to get a least six foot high and turn every week till it turns black then put on the soil about six inches deep and turn in to soil add lime and till again at end of season add the same amount in fall plus the lime and till it then plant buckwheat for the winter in spring till buckwheat when six inches to ten inches high then add four more inches of horse mulch and till by this time the clay can not be seen and you just keep doing this and if soil starts looking like clay start adding the horse mulch,don't for get the lime each time for this will let the mulch and clay mix for top notch soil.

Answer 4

i worked at a real estate developers a few years back. when we would clear lots off you would be left with red clay. i live in south carolina. in order to grow grass, we would blacken the ground with pelettized limestone... then go over that with 17-17-17 fertilizer.... then grass seed. within days of the next rain the ground was green.
hope this helps a little

Answer 5

What do mean by Farm?
This means large scale to me.
If so contact your County extension service.
If it's a large garden, you need alot of amendments. You should really have you soil tested before you proceed. Especially if you are planning on making a living off of it.
Don't just throw stuff in there...

Answer 6

SAND WILL WORK ITS WAY THROUGH but it may take time .... why not contact a local university for info or the state you live in (your state agriculture dept)

oh and plenty of NITROGEN makes the ground FERTILE

Answer 7

Different clay types need different things...go to your local nursery and ask for help

Answer 8

Aerate, compost, fertilize and add sand and sugar soil.