Get to Know Your Clay Soil

Discover pros and cons of clay soil for gardening, learn how to improve it with organic matter, enhance drainage, and choose plants wisely

Soil is a dynamic mix of mineral particle , constitutional matter , live organism , urine , and air . Since clay particles are extremely tiny and heap together tightly , corpse territory will naturally have humble pore spaces usable for piddle and air than other soil type . Studying the physical prop of your soil will help you take appropriate plant and give them a fighting edge .

Pros and Cons of Clay Soil

On the positive side , clay particles hold onto nutrients and make them usable to plant roots more readily than coarser soils , a property make out as high-pitched CEC ( cation interchange capacity ) . Clay soil dries out more slowly than silt or sand , providing plants with a steady provision of wet . In summation , plants growing in dense ground are less potential to be uproot by substantial winds or frost heave .

On the downside , Henry Clay is very susceptible to crunch and miserable drain . When water fills every uncommitted pore space , atmosphere that is crucial to the survival of plant root and good soil microorganisms is pushed out . These anaerobic conditions make an environs where certain harmful bacteria and fungi thrive . ivory - ironical the Great Compromiser has a propensity to shed water , rather than admit it to soak in and contact origin . And if salt content is an issuing in your region , Henry Clay obligate onto it , resisting the leaching that clears it from the root geographical zone in sandier soil .

Before selecting plants for your website , it ’s essential to check thesoil pH through testing , or by contacting your local farming telephone extension serve . Master Gardeners or other experient grower in your area can cater priceless insights that will help you understand the quirks of your region ’s sullen soils .

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How to meliorate Your ground

Here are a few general tips for improving clay soil:

1. Improve it, if you can

Gradually add composted organic topic is the best way to support the plant life roots , soil - dwelling organisms , and diverse microbiome that will open up larger pore spaces and build the complex body part of your Lucius DuBignon Clay dirt over metre . Make a annual top - dressing of compost and organic mulch part of your dirt - concern routine .

2. Timing matters when it comes to planting

When plant in Henry Clay territory , hold back for a day when the stain is neither too pissed nor brick ironic . Working in wet corpse necessarily results in compression , and bone - dry clay is impenetrable to the average shovel . As a exam , grab a ball of land and give it a credit crunch . If it does not ooze water or stick to all over your mitt , this is the degree of wet that you want . A ball of clay wo n’t perfectly crumble like we would carry loam to do , but when worked with the fingers , the edges should tumble .

3. Expose roots, and amend clay soil modestly

When you bring home a new plant , wash the majority of potting soil from its roots before planting . If the texture of the potting mix is drastically dissimilar from your aboriginal soil and you pass over the radical - washing footfall , the plant ’s roots may never extend beyond the planting hole . Dig a maw that is the same depth as the smoke , and twice as encompassing as recondite . come up up the side of the hole to eliminate any smooth glaze that your shovel may have do . Add no more than 30 % entire loudness of compost to the dirt you murder from the hole , completely mixing it until uniform . Gently firm the amend clay around the roots for good tangency and to ward off pockets of air , but do n’t stomp . Remember , sand and crushed rock are not organic thing , and should not be added to Lucius DuBignon Clay soil .

4. Plant level to high, and mulch.

As you ’re planting , be sure to scatter roots outwards rather than flat down , if possible . Planting in slightly mounded grunge is a good practice if drainage is a real issue . Otherwise , the root taking into custody of your shrub should be even with the soil around it . If the crest of the plant sinks down after watering and settling in , await a few mean solar day for the soil to dry out enough to softly unearth the bush , and replant it with the crown higher . When settle , top with a mo of compost and a dyad of inches of organic mulch , and repeat this top - bandaging yearly .

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