The Spruce / Jacob Fox
Clay soil can be a challenge for gardeners.
Clay particles are extremely dense and resistant to water movement, which is not conducive to root growth.
In clay soil, the bulbs of spring flowers simply rot over the winter, for example.
The Spruce / Jacob Fox
What Is Clay Soil?
Clay is one of the threebasic soil types.
Soil that consists of over 50 percent clay particles is referred to as heavy clay.
The Spruce / Jacob Fox
Chances are you probably already know if you have clay soil.
you might also do the squeeze test.
Take a handful of moist (but not wet) soil from your garden and squeeze it firmly.
The Spruce / Sandhya Moraes
If you open your hand and the soil holds its shape even when poked, it is clay.
Start by defining the growing area for your garden bed.
Adding sand directly to clay yields something that resembles concrete.
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To improve clay soils, reach for compost and other organic matter only.
Amending Clay Soil Over Time
Clay soil cannot be changed overnight.
Continue to mulch your garden with more compost and also plant cover cropsto add green manure to the soil.
One benefit of clay soil is that it retains moisture and nutrients well.
In sandy soil, the opposite happensthe soil does not hold water and rapidly leaches nutrients.
Some plants prefer clay soil, such as birch trees and hawthorns.
Usually, planting in clay soil is ill-advised.
Unless the plants you intend to grow specifically prefer clay soil, avoid planting in it.
you’re free to amend clay soil (as directed above), making it suitable for planting.
If you discover that most of your land has clay soil, considerpreparing a raised bedfor planting instead.
With time, the amendment will break down and improve the soil.
