Soil improvers?

Question

Just moved into very neglected garden & have been weeding and digging over the beds, but soil is very clumpy, what should I use to improve for the next seasons plantint?

Answer 1

Clumpy can be good or bad depending on what is holding the clump together. Loam has humus that holds the soil in aggregates but clay can also cause lumps.

You can do a visual soil survey by digging a small hole. First look at the hole and take some soil in hand. Check your soil's texture by picking up a handful and squeeze gently: If it feels sticky and stays in a tight mass, your soil is likely too high in clay. If it feels harsh or gritty and won't hold any shape or crumbles it is likely too high in sand. If it feels silky smooth or floury and won't hold any shape, it's likely too high in silt. If it molds into your hand yet crumbles apart when squeezed, it has the perfect texture. It is loam.
If it formed a sticky ball try to squeeze it upward to form a ribbon. Measure the length of the ribbon. Now wet the soil in your palm til muddy. Rub the soil against your palm with your other fingertips. Is it smooth, gritty or both?
1” gritty ribbon is sandy loam
1” smooth ribbon is silty loam
1” both is loam
1-2” gritty ribbon is sandy clay loam
1-2” smooth ribbon is silty clay loam
1-2” both is clay loam
GT 2” gritty ribbon is sandy clay
GT 2” smooth ribbon is silty clay
GT 2” both is clay
Black color indicates high organic matter; gray indicates medium organic matter. Red, tan or blue color indicates little organic matter and high clay. Blue color indicates that there is no oxygen in the clay. Therefore, no roots will grow in blue clay. Normally, the organic matter is mainly in the topsoil. Forest soils have a one to four inch thick layer of dark organic matter on top of mineral soil.
A general recommendation is: Add as much composted (rotted) organic material as you can afford. It is almost impossible to add too much. Organics should make up 5-10% of your soil the rest being minerals, air, and water.
Organics include anything that is well rotted: manure, yard waste, wood chips, or mixed compost. The only time you do not add more organics is if you live in peat rich or boggy areas. Peaty soil already has as much as 20% organic material.

Next you need to determine your nitrogen, phosphorus, & potassium concentrations with the soil's pH. These come from a soil test. If you send a soil sample to a local extension agent they will test it for nutrients and pH or you can buy a kit. Just use distilled water, not tap water, or you will be testing the water's contents not the soil's. The results will tell you exactly what you need to add to bring your soil to optimum fertility with no wasted money. Amendments are best applied by evenly covering the surface of the area. Till in as deeply as possible this once. Future amendments can be applied by topdressing.

Answer 2

Use Gypsum if you don't want to change the Ph of the soil. This is good if you have acid-loving plants that would react adversely to lime. Use lime if you want to lessen the acidity of the soil. Both keep the soil from clumping. Add compost & sand to the soil to improve drainage & to give worms an environment to grow in. They'll help keep the soil porous with their activity in the soil.
Use mulch to keep the soil around your plants from crusting. This mulch will break down & can be added to the soil next season when you add new plants.
Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Loads and loads of organic matter eg. manure or garden/municipal compost.Some people like to add grit to improve drainage - costly and very hard work with comparatively little benefit. Add as much organic matter as you can manage once the cleared beds are double dug (digging to one spade depth and forking the bottom) and weeded.It might be worth doing a ph test just to check what type of soil you have and if very acid (possible in a neglected garden) you might have to add lime (take care as very specific applications needed.) Hard work but your plants will thank you for it next year.

Answer 4

All very technical. If you want it easier and less scientific, a layer of well rotted strawy horse muck about 6 inches thick, then cover with black plastic, weigh it down with bricks and let the worms do the work. Don't dig it ever again, every time you do you will bring up more weed seeds. Just compost on top and holes to plant in.

Answer 5

That includes a lot of work to start with. You wont be able to grow much in heavy soil . except cabages. You will need a mechanical digger and dig out that soil and replace it with mixed compost.

Answer 6

you probably need some gypsum for the mud, and then you need some soil improvers, mulch and your household garbage, provided it does include nutrients that are necessary you have to know that you must prepare the ground long before you plant, give it a season and don't forget that when you are planting that you rotate the plants, root vegs, i.e. carrots, above ground, e.g.peas or beans

good luck