What to do about clay?

Question

I just started to till a spot for my garden and I got about 2 inches in and realized under that is clay!! I don't know if anything will even grow there. If you have any idea what I should do let me know thanks

Answer 1

The key to amending clay soil is to amend a large area and use enough coarse sand and coarse organic matter. Avoid trying to change a small area. Plants will have a difficult time making the transition to the surrounding clay soil, effectively limiting their growth to the amended area.
Two of the best amendments for clay soil are coarse sand and coarse organic matter. Coarse sand is also sometimes called builders' sand. The particles are relatively large, especially when compared to the finer sands used for sandboxes and such. The fine sands may actually make your problem worse. There are lots of types of organic matter available for gardening but not all of them will help improve clay soil. It needs to be coarse. Avoid fine-textured material such as peat moss or the packaged manures. If possible, find a source for a coarse compost or manure. Check with your city to see if they have a compost site for leaves and such.

When one mixes a sandy and a clay soil together, the large pore spaces of the sandy soil are filled with the smaller clay particles. This results in a heavier, denser soil with less total pore space than either the sandy or the clay soil alone. (A good analogy is the manufacture of concrete, which entails mixing sand with cement - a fine particle substance. The results are obvious.) A soil must consist of nearly 50% sand by total volume before it takes on the characteristics of a sandy soil. For most sites, it would be prohibitively expensive to remove half the existing soil and add an equal volume of sand and then till it to the necessary 18-24". Mineral amendments of large particle size, such as perlite, may provide some benefit but can also be costly depending on the size of the site.

How much? And how? First, calculate the area you are amending. Length x Width = Square Feet. Ideally, you should use equal parts of coarse sand and coarse organic matter to amend the soil, but extra sand can be used if necessary. You will need to cover the area with a 3-4 inch layer of organic matter and a 3-4 inch layer of sand. Bagged products won't be practical. Look for a source of bulk material. It will probably be measured by the cubic yard (27 cubic feet). The general rule of thumb is that one cubic yard will cover approximately 100 square feet with 3 inches of material.
First spread the organic matter over the area to be amended and work it into the top 6 inches of the soil. Next spread the sand over the clay/organic matter layer and mix it in. A tiller works well for this task. If you don't own one, they can be rented.

Soil Conditioners and Gypsum
There are several products called soil conditioners or clay conditioners. Most of them are only practical for small areas.

Gypsum often comes up when discussing clay soils. Gypsum is a mineral product similar to lime. Lime is calcium carbonate and gypsum is calcium sulfate. Billed as an amendment that will help improve soil drainage. Gypsum has been used effectively in areas where the soil is very salty. The sulfate part of gypsum will also help to slightly acidify the soil.

Answer 2

I live in an area where we have heavy clay soils as well. There are a couple of things to do to that can help alleviate the problems associated when working with heavy soils.

1) The addition of compost and composted manures will help introduce numerous beneficial fungi and bacteria that will form small aggregates in the soil. What they do is bind soil particles together that will allow water and oxygen into those tiny spaces and then your roots will move more freely and grow healthier.

At the same time, these microbes (fungi & bacteria) will help absorb available nutrients and help the roots to utilize them better. Microbes are also known to help protect roots from various diseases and insects (nematodes).

You can sustain microbial populations by adding sawdust on an annual basis and then adding more manure. What you'll see is a softer soil that becomes more manageable.

Please keep in mind that by adding these products, you should try to rototill or work them evenly into the soil as much as possible.

2) Gypsum and Humic Acid will also help the improve soil structure, increase moisture availabilty to the roots and improve general plant health and vigor.

Hope this information helps solve your problem. Good luck!

-Certified Professional Crop Consultant with over 30 years of experience and a Degree in Plant Science

Answer 3

I have clay soil also. One thing I learned is not to mess with it when its wet because it will get like cement. Try building a raised bed if you don't want to ammend the soil. Although I have lots of things that will grow in clay soil. Pick up a garden magazine at the grocery store. The magazines are loaded with helpful ideas for what will grow there you will be pleasantly surprised.

Answer 4

Sara you need to change the soil. This is not uncommon in new and older home sets. Since you are tilling the soil continue to till it to a depth of at least four to six inches. Go to your local nursery and purchase both Gypsum and Sphagnum Moss. The Gypsum and Moss for an application of one bag each per 1,000 sq foot.
Till these materials. one at a time, into the soil and plant annuals. In the fall rent that tiller again and repeat the process. Mulch the bed with triple shredded hardwood to max the soil content. Till the mulch, moss, and gypsum into the bed in Fall.
You will note a lesser retention of water retention in your bed. The gypsum will loosen the clay, the moss, acidify, balance the Ph, and absorb water. The continued tilling of the bed aerates and the mulch becomes prime topsoil within two years . Good Luck to You.

Answer 5

Well alot of things do grow in clay. My Purple Cones, Daylilies and other flowers do well enough. Also, Azaleas bushes do well in clay because of its acidic value. I 've added alots of organic material over time from my compost and in some areas have mixed in some coarse sand. Also, I like to get there at this time of year with my spade fork and loosing up the soil and give it some air before mixing in other mateirals. Here is a link that may be helpful.

Answer 6

A note of caution about the gypsum. What part of the country do you live in? Gypsum or lime will help make acidic soil more alkaline, but if you live in a drier climate, as I do in Denver, the soil is alkaline, and we have to acidify it. I had a customer who moved here from Ohio, and her lawn looked very pale and yellow. I found out she had been religiously applying lime ( which she had a hard time finding here!) and had gotten the PH all out of whack. Once we got the soil PH back where it needed to be, her grass looked great.

Answer 7

Till or turn in lots of soil amendments, manure, compost, and other organic stuff, it will help break up the clay and build better soil.

Answer 8

by yourself some bags of miracle dirt and till that into the clay. that should help alot.