what do I add to my garden soil?

Question

I grow veggies in my backyard. When I originally dug the garden, the soil was mostly clay. I added a lot of topsoil to it and grew a summer's worth of veggies.

The next summer (this summer) the soil was rock hard. I ripped my hands up trying to break up the large chunks of hard topsoil/clay. I don't want to go through that again next year.

At the end of this summer, is there something I can add to the soil to prevent it from hardening? It has to be safe to grow veggies in.

Thanks in advance.

10 points will be awarded....I need help!

Answer 1

unit & Julie gave you a great answers:

Gypsum & organic matter

Gypsum will help break down the clay. The organic matter will do the best as far as making it easy to work. Organic matter means tilling a lot of manure, leaves, grass, etc into your garden. Clay is hard ground, but it holds nutrients and water well. The more organic matter you add to it the better it become.

I know this may sound a little much, but I normally put about a 4 inch thick layer of rabbit manure on my garden each year. Rabbit manure is better than the other manures because it is not acidic and it doesn't have weed seeds in it like cattle or horse manure does. My dad and I have done that for several years on the garden at my parent's place and that soil is now rich and black and real easy to till. I now have my own home and am starting to add plent of rabbit manure to mine to make it grow better and work easier since I till mine by hand since I have a small garden.

Pete moss can add water absorbing ability to your soil, but with clay that should already be good. And the more organic matter you ad, no matter what it is it will help hold water and nutrients.

One thing I do recommend though, don't add all of the stuff this summer. Wait till fall so it has time to break down in the ground over winter. Some things like straw and other organic matter draw nitrogen out of the soil while they are breaking down and don't actually start putting nitrogen back into the soil until they have broken down.

Answer 2

You have recieved some of the best answers that I've seen on this subject. All present valid points on changing soil structure. There are several factors that can influence it including organic content, moisture content and particle size.

The recommendations of adding organic matter are the best ones. Where I live, the soil is clay. I condition my soil with pine bark, sphagnum peat and gypsum. These agents all do different things. The bark adds organic value and modifies the particle size of the soil. It also adds porosity to the soil. Sphagnum peat enhances the ability of the soil to hold moisture, reduces soil pH and adds organic value. Gypsum helps break down the clay electrolytically and adds sulfur and calcium to the soil. These three things, I have found to be the best for my soil conditions. Trial and error will give you the best results, but it does take time. Spade or rototill your soil, adding the organics and gyp.

Note: a shortcut to the above would be to add a good quality potting soil into your earth soil. Potting mix usually contains peat, bark and some measure of plant nutrients and micronutrients. Buy a good quality potting mix, not just cheap potting soil.

Moisture is an issue that many people overlook when assessing soil. Moisture softens clay and makes it more workable. By enhancing your organic content in the soil, you're enabling it to hold moisture better.

If you are not mulching this area when plants are in place or not, you are losing the ability to control soil moisture. Be sure that you keep the soil covered with mulch. Further, as mulch breaks down, it becomes organic matter, further enhancing your soil.

Answer 3

Sand, compost, manure, grass clippings and mulch it with hay. Turn it all over or till it together and You will have a lovely soil to garden in. I live in OK where the soil is a good deal of clay. When I bought this house the yard was so compacted and full of clay I didn't think anything would help so I just started amending the soil with everything I know to be good for it and I have beautiful soil. My sister-in-law came over to help me plants some roses and she said she's never seen soil this nice. Oh, get some earthworms to toss in the garden after it's been tilled and they will get right to work aerating and fertilizing for you. Good luck.

Answer 4

gypsum helps break down clay soil

organic matter like compost or manure will also greatly help

clay soil is not really that bad
it does contain valuable nutrients
the problem is that it is hard for the plants to get to the nutrients because the soil is rock hard

anyhow add some compost or manure

you can also till in grass and leaves to add organic matter for next years harvest

but seriously manure is cheap "if not free" add manure

this may also be a good time to add a compost heap

as listed below peat moss
this may acidify your soil
so will some tree barks

it would be a wise idea to get your soil tested afterwards

Answer 5

You need something that will aerate the soil. I bought soil amendment (looks like sawdust) from a landscaping store. It was $15 for a pick-up truck load and I tilled it in at the end of the growing season. I used about 4" on top the area, then tilled it in. Manure can be added at the same time for nutrients. I had heard about people using sand to mix in but I found that it made a sticky mess.

Answer 6

The answer above is a good one, I would just add this: In addition to adding compost and manure, you could try planting a ground cover at the end of your usual growing season and let the ground cover grow over the cold season. This will help to keep the soil from hardening, and then in the spring or whenever you get ready to replant your garden veggies, just rent a roto-tiller and till under the ground cover. This will assure you of good enriched (and softer) soil.
Hope that helps!

Answer 7

Hi,

I would use compost, dead leaves If you have trees in your yard, grass clippings and you could go out and buy a bag of peat moss, but its not necessary. You could spread all that stuff on in the fall after you are done with the garden, let it sit all winter and rototill or pitchfork it under in the spring before you plant. You can rent a rototiller (Kovariks hardware has em for not too much money, also Taylor rental) or if that intimidates you, use a garden fork or pitchfork. It helps to plant when its not too dry, the soil is softer after a rain.

Answer 8

gypsum works well. You might want to have another truckload of sandy-type garden soil brought in as well. Sphagnum peat moss will help lighten up the clay as well. A rototiller would be a HUGE help to you in the spring. Clay can be next to impossible to turn over by hand, so I would rent a small tiller to do the job. Watering a little bit before trying to till it helps too, just not TOO much.

Answer 9

I have clay soil also. What has worked best for me is covering your garden with mulch, any thing you can easily get hold of is best (ie. grass clippings ,leaves, hay). You don't have to wait until your garden is through. I put mulch in between the rows. It keeps the weeds down and holds more moisture in the ground. Also if you have access to worms. Don't go buy them ,just find them. They will loosen up your soil, but make sure the have mulch covering or they will die.

Answer 10

1. Add Gypsum at recommended rate on back.
2. Add copious amounts of compost, (garden, cow, chicken) whatever they sell in your area. Turn it all in. You will never have this problem again.

What you did before is add a mineral based soil to a mineral based soil, and gues what? You got a mineral based soil. Adding in Gypsum which is high in Magnesium, helps break up the clay. Adding in compost adds organic matter which not only adds porosity and water holding capacity to the soil, it holds huge amounts of available nutrients.

For future reference: Soil makes up 95% of the the volume in the garden and does 5% of the work. Organic matter makes up 5% of the volume in the garden and does 95% of the work. Any questions?