How to overcome clay in the garden?

Question

My garden has little top soil, and is almost impossible to dig. Is there something I can add to the soil, such as humus or compost?

Answer 1

Add gypsum, gypsum breaks up the clay over a matter of time. You can use a rototiller in the spring and mix in the gypsum & sand (sand helps with drainage). Use a rototiller approiate for your size of garden, I find that the small Troybuilt ones work great for small gardens. Go buy a dozen worms or nightcrawlers also they help breakdown the soil too, and they work for free.  But all this takes time don't expect to have perfect soil for a couple years. The other alterative is to dig it all out and put topsoil and cow manure in!

Answer 2

Start buying peat moss and adding it to your soil. Just till it into your soil.  It is not expensive, and works magic, on your soil.  I live in Ga. and had the same problem.

Good Luck

Answer 3

I gree with the above answers except where they mention "grit" or sand.  The amount of sand required to loosen clay is beyond comprehension.  The reason is clay particles are microscopic whereas sand is visible......great size difference.  Unless you can add several feet of sand over the area, anything less will result in aggregation.....which is a nice way of saying you will form concrete...assuming your clay is limestone based.  

Back in college.....more years that I care to mention......our turfgrass professor ran the experiment.  It was eye opening.  

Stick with the organic matter.  Compost, sphagnum peat moss are first choices.  Gypsum may work if there's a sodium problem as well.  Whenever it's time to work the soil...beginning of the season, replanting during the season and again at the end of the season, add organic matter.  I started growing green manure, that is a cover crop(buckwheat, rye, vetch, clover) that I turned into the soil during the seaon and over winter.  It did as much, if not more for the soil than did all the compost.

Answer 4

Usually clay will soften a bit after it's wet,but still hard to work.

I guess if it were me I would hire a couple of those muscle bound guys (not me @ 60) and turn the soil.It may be necessary to remove a bit.Mix in some real good compost with a little sand.I probably would import in some some good topsoil and rototill it in.Each year after bring in some compost and you will see the ground change.

Soapy water also loosens dirt (dish soap) and there's a product they call claybuster that does the same thing for prep work.

Good Luck and enjoy your garden

Answer 5

As you said add lots of humus & compost & sand & small grit. This will help break up the clay. A good turning over with a fork near the winter time helps. The frost/ ice will break up the clay lovely. Add some good top soil and mix in with the sand and grit. Good luck

Answer 6

You first need to break up the clay subsoil.  Hire a Rotavator (you need a powerful one for clay) and add some grit.  Now you've got a choice.  The expensive option is to buy in some topsoil - you'll need a tonne for every 10 square metres.   The cheap option is to dig it and add well rotted manure every spring and autumn for 10 years.