how do you break up tough, gunky soil?

Question

our soil is very thick and tough...almost like gunky oil buildup in your car. We would like to start planting stuff in our flower beds, but it seems impossible because of this tough soil. i figure we just need to dissolve the soil.

Answer 1

Betcha a cookie you've got clay soil. If you work clay soil when it's wet, you work all the air out of it and wind up with somethign that's close to impervious to water or digging. Dig sand into it and you get adobe. Dig lots and lots of compost into it and you get a nice garden soil.

The main trick to working clay is that you need to break it up when the soil moisture is just right -- too much and it's gooey and compacted, too little and you can't get a spading fork into it.

I strongly suggest you get a "real soil test", probably from your state extension service's soil lab -- they usually run $8-10 for the basics. Clay soils can hold a tremendous amount of mineral nutrients -- you really have to be careful not to overdo the fertilizer on many clays. You will may also want to add gypsum to help improve the soil texture.
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/how-to/articles/improving-clay-soils.aspx
http://www.uvm.edu/extension/publications/oh/oh31.htm

I'd also urge you to consider raised bed gardening for any annual crops that you will need to dig in the soil... raised beds with heavily amended soils can make things like vegetable gardening a pleasure instead of work.

Answer 2

Getting clay or gumbo soils to the point where they are workable is a long term project, unless you want to throw a lot of money at it. Gypsum is a natural product that will help to break up the clay. Adding organic matter and tilling it in will also benefit your soil in the long run. If your area has a leaf composting program, it can be a good source of relatively inexpensive organic material.

Using raised beds might be the quickest solution for you. You can start with 3-4 inches of compost. We grew tomatoes this year in beds made by placing newspapers down and piling grass clippings and potting soil on them.

Be careful if you want to purchase topsoil, some of the so-called topsoil being sold is mostly clay and sand.

Visit our website for more gardening ideas at-
http://www.gardening-at-the-crossroads.com/

Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!

Answer 3

I have clay soil. Do not add sand! Work clay busting amendments into the soil. Then when you plant, plant half as deep as normal, then cover with a good soil mix. I also "plant" lengths of PVC pipe with holes to even out drainage. Bring in worms! There are many plants that do well in clay soil.

Answer 4

Rototill in:

Composted humus
Soil amendment
Gypsum (small amount)

Answer 5

Mix it with sand and you will have some good stuff.