Dont let clay soil keep you from having a beautiful garden.
There are many easy (and organic!)
ways to amend heavy soil.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
There’s no doubt about it; working in heavy clay soil is a pain in the back.
It sticks to your shoes (andtools) and can be more challenging thangardening in sandier soil.
However, despite all the hard work, clay soil has its benefits.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Namely, it can host life-giving plant nutrients and retain moisture better than other soil types.
In fact, 99 percent of the time, it turns your ground into cement.
Soil treated this way becomes so tough that worms can’t live in it.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Instead, reach for organic matter, such ascompost, leaf mold, and well-rotted manure.
Amending your soil takes time and patience but rewards you many times over in the end.
before you kick off,have a soil test done.
If you’re creating a new bed, this will be much easier.
Next, spread about 2 inches of compost on top of the tilled soil and work that in.
Repeat the process two more times.
Remember to only work in your clay soil if it is relatively dry.
Working or walking on wet clay soil seriously damages the structure you are trying to improve.
Working around existing plants will take more time and caution.
you could even make it an annual part ofputting the garden to bed for winter.
Repeat that at least once more and plan to make that part of your routine.
Always work so that you’re walking backward and away from your freshly turned soil.
One last word on gardening in clay soil: Choose plantsnaturally adapted to growing in clay.
It’s always better to work with what you have than to try and change it entirely.
