If you have clay soil on the site, and you are asking what to do, then this article is for you and after reading it you will not have to climb the forums and ask experienced gardeners what to do.

Determination of clay soil

The soil is considered clayey if 80% of its composition is clay and 20% is sand. Clay, in turn, consists of particles that are tightly adjacent to one another. Accordingly, because of this, problems arise, since air and water poorly pass through such a surface. The lack of air in it inhibits the necessary biological processes.

How to determine the type of soil (video)

Soils, which are mainly made of clay, are very uncomfortable, as their structure is imperfect. They are very knocked down and heavy, as the clay itself is poorly drained.

Clay soil quickly freezes and heats up for a long time, despite the fact that nutrients are in greater quantities than light soils. Clay processing is very difficult, and plant roots do not penetrate well into such a surface. After the snow melts, rains or irrigation, the water stays at the top for a long time and very slowly passes into the lower layers.

Clay soil allows moisture to pass through for a long time

Accordingly, stagnation of water occurs here, which in turn contributes to the displacement of air from the layers of the earth, and the soil turns sour. When the water in the ground is high, then, in principle, the same processes occur with it. In the case when heavy rains pass, the clay floats, a crust forms on top of the soil, with which nothing good happens - it dries up, hardens and bursts. And if then it rarely rains, the earth hardens so much that it is very difficult to dig it up. The crusts that form on top of the soil prevent air from entering, which dries it up even more. Processing becomes even more difficult and lumps are formed during excavation.

Clay soil often contains little humus, and it is mainly 10-15 cm from the surface. But even this is more a disadvantage than an advantage, since such a soil has an acidic reaction, which plants do not demolish well.

But, fortunately, all these disadvantages can be corrected in several seasons. This, of course, is not about “turning” heavy soil into light one. Also, some effort and a lot of material costs will be required from the owner. This work may take several years.

It does not matter for what types of crops you want to improve the soil - in the garden or any other, the principles of action are almost the same everywhere.

First, plan the plane on your site so that it is as flat as possible, otherwise water will stagnate there. The boundaries on the bed should be directed in such a way as to ensure the drainage of excess water.

Before winter, it is necessary to dig up the clay soil, but so as not to break lumps. It is advisable to do this before the autumn rains start, otherwise the soil will be compacted even more. In winter, due to water and frost, the structure of the lumps will be better. Thanks to this, in the spring, drying and heating of the soil will accelerate. In the spring, the soil must be dug up again.

When cultivating such soils and increasing the plowed layers, it is forbidden to turn up most of the podzol. The depth should increase to a maximum of two centimeters, while fertilizing and various limescale materials should be added.

In the case where the soil is very dense, which is difficult even to dig up, the addition of crushed brick, hay, crushed brushwood or bark is allowed. But if you don't have bricks, you can add burnt weeds. They are burned with roots and unsheltered soil and then added to our soil.

Improving clay soil with fertilizers

Be that as it may, all of the above works well, but the main method for improving clay soil is to add fertilizer. It can be manure or different types of peat or compost.

Peat

At first, it is recommended to add manure or peat at least 1-2 buckets per square meter. Make the cultivated layer of soil no more than 12 cm, because this contributes to the qualitative development of minerals. Thanks to this, beneficial soil microorganisms and earthworms develop well there. As a result, the soil will become loose, its structure improves, and air penetrates there better. This all contributes to the good life of the vegetation.

Humus for fertilization

The manure that will be added to the soil must be well rotted, otherwise, it will be harmful to the roots. Use manure that decomposes quickly - horse or sheep manure.

The peat must be well weathered. If the color of the peat is rusty, then it is better not to add it. This indicates a high iron content, which can harm vegetation.

Sawdust

If you have sawdust that has been sitting for a long time, this can also work well. However, add no more than 1 bucket per square meter. But this can reduce the fertility of the soil. This is due to the fact that when sawdust decomposes, they take on soil nitrogen. This can be prevented if, before adding to the soil, a solution of urea is made, the concentration of which with water should be 1.5%. You can also apply sawdust, which was spread under the cattle and moistened with their urine.

Sawdust as fertilizer

Sand and humus

There is also another method - during the autumn digging, add river sand to the clay soil. Although not easy, it has a good effect. But you need to know the correct proportions, since each type of crop grown requires a different soil composition.

Sand for fertilizing clay soil

In soils such as shallow loams, vegetables and many flowers grow well. To achieve this composition, add one bucket of sand per square meter.

Add half a bucket if you want to plant cabbage, beets, apple trees, plums, cherries, or some flower crops such as peonies or roses. They love heavy soils.

It is necessary to add sand and humus to clay soil regularly - at least after a year for years. This is all because the plants will take away humus, and the sand will settle, and the soil will again become unfavorable.

As practice shows, after five years of such works, the soil will turn from clayey to loamy. The thickness of the layer will be somewhere around 18 cm.

Fertilizer from green crops

A good effect is produced by annual green crops, which are used as fertilizer.

They are sown, usually after harvesting vegetables or potatoes, and in the same season they are dug up for the winter. In August, you can also sow winter rye and dig it up in the spring. Such crops have a positive effect on the soil, and it is enriched organically. But the main thing is that the clay soil is loosened this way.

Creation of loose soil

If the soil is very low in organic matter, sowing with perennial clover is a good solution. It is regularly mowed without collecting grass. Clover roots die off over time and have a beneficial effect on the soil. After three years, it is better to dig up the clover to a depth of 12 cm.

Earthworms also loosen the earth well, so it is advisable to populate them there. If you have empty areas, you can plant them with ground covers. They prevent the earth from drying out, overheating and increase the level of organic matter.

Soil liming

If you have heard of such a method as liming the soil, then this is done only in the fall. This is done infrequently - once every 5 years. Lime deacidifies the soil and thus has a beneficial effect on it. Calcium, in turn, increases the fertility of the soil, as it allows water to penetrate deep into the clay. Basically, this method, like most others, loosens heavy earth well.

But the question arises, in what dosages to add alkaline materials? It depends on how much calcium is in the earth, what level of acidity and texture. In autumn, it can be fertilized with ground limestone, slaked lime, dolomite flour, chalk, cement dust, wood and peat ash.

Lime enrichment has a beneficial effect on both heavy and light soils. The heavy ones turn into looser ones, and the light ones, on the contrary, are coherent. Also, the action of microorganisms is enhanced, which better assimilates nitrogen and humus, which improves the nutritional value of plants.

Clay soil can yield crops, but it takes work.

To find out what kind of soil you have, carry out a simple experiment - Squeeze a handful of earth in your hand and moisten it with water. Knead the earth until it resembles dough to you. Try to make a "bagel" 5 cm in diameter out of this handful. If it is cracked, then you have loamy soil, if there are no cracks, you have clay soil. Accordingly, it needs to be put in order.