Improving Clay Soil in the Organic Garden

When a gardener sees standing water in his garden in the spring, but the same area transforms into a web of cracks in the summer, he has clay soil. There are several ways to improve clay soil in the organic garden.

Identify Clay Soil Types

Clay soil is made of fine particles that cause it to stick together, preventing normal drainage processes that keep plant roots healthy. If a gardener squeezes moist clay soil into a ball, the soil will retain that shape. Gardeners who regularly fight chicory, sorrel, and buttercup weeds are dealing with the clay soil that attracts these weeds.

Soil Amendments for Clay

Some gardeners make the mistake of adding sand to clay soil, thinking that adding matter from the opposite soil type will moderate the problem. However, sand and clay make a soil more akin to concrete than the rich loam all gardeners desire. The best soil conditioner for clay is organic matter, and lots of it. Gardeners should add organic compost, leaf mold, and green manures from cover crops to improve soil structure and tilth.

Garden centers commonly sell gypsum as a soil amendment for clay conditions. However, unlike organic matter, gypsum does nothing to improve the fertility of soil. Furthermore, according to the Puyallup Research and Extension Center at Washington State University, gypsum negatively affects the mycorrhizae that enhance root health and development.

Double Digging

Double digging is highly laborious, but it can be an effective way to remedy extremely heavy soils in small areas. The double digging method involves digging a 2-foot deep trench in the garden, filling it with a compost and soil mixture, and then returning the native soil to the trench and mixing it together. The toil involved in this project makes double digging a four-letter word for many gardeners.

Create Raised Garden Beds

Creating raised beds is an easy way to subvert many soil problems, whether sandy or clay-based. Gardeners can choose the type of raised beds they want, exploring lasagna gardening options, raised garden bed kits made of composite or wood, or straw bale gardening.

Prevent Soil Compaction

Clay soil is naturally dense and tends to waterlog easily, and these characteristics become exaggerated in the spring. Gardeners must take care not to walk on clay soil or work it with a tiller when it’s cold and waterlogged, or it will become nearly impervious to water and oxygen. Work clay soil gently with a pitchfork when it’s as moist as a wrung-out sponge, as this garden tool maintains the integrity of the soil strata.

Plants for Clay Soil

Plants that thrive in clay soil are those that can cope with the extremes of sogginess and dry cracked earth that clay can bring. Gardeners with sunny spots can choose daylilies, coreopsis, and switchgrass. Gardeners with shady clay soils can plant ferns, forget-me-not, and ajuga. Plants like bishop’s weed and Joe Pye weed tolerate clay soils, but gardeners must remember that the ‚”weed” part of a plant’s name is there for a reason, and these plants can be invasive.