Dense, hard clay is very difficult to dig up, which will make it difficult for you to maintain healthy plants there. However, don't let your passion for gardening be discouraged because of this problem. You can aerate the clay (adding oxygen to the soil) if it is completely dry or wet (when the soil is easier to handle). Next, follow up the process by adding soil-fertilizing materials, such as compost, biochar (soil-improvement charcoal), or manure to make it easier for new plants to grow. This fixing won't give you quick results, but it's still faster than if you apply traditional solutions, such as applying gypsum over and over again to fix the clay.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Aerating the Clay
Step 1. Aerate if the soil is completely wet or dry
One of the biggest problems with clay soil is poor drainage, and this can be difficult to treat if there are still parts of the soil that are still wet. Don't make any repairs first if the soil isn't dry and cracked, or if it's easy to hoe.
- The dry season is the right time for aeration because the soil conditions are dry.
- If the soil is still wet while working, it's more likely that your gardening tools will have a hard time penetrating the soil and may end up with the sticky clay.
Step 2. Turn the soil over thoroughly before you add the fixing agent
Drive the tip of the shovel or hoe into the soil, taking a bit of soil with you as you pull it out. Repeat this process of mixing the soil for all the parts of the garden that you want to plant. You can turn the soil as often as you like, as long as you follow up with a good quality fertilizer, or other material used to condition the soil and increase its fertility.
- Do not cultivate the soil without directly adding a fertilizer. This action actually causes the soil to form large lumps that are not good for planting.
- If you have one, you can also use a push tiller to work the soil more quickly.
Tip:
Manual aeration will break up the hard and compacted soil, introduce air and other gases in the environment, and make it easier for the fixing agent to penetrate deep into the soil.
Step 3. Remove any existing boulders
If you find a large rock while working the soil, stop and pick it up by hand. Rocks are a big hurdle in agriculture because they can be a barrier to water, take up space that would otherwise be used to add fertile materials, and can even damage aeration equipment if they come into contact with rocks at right angles.
- Remove stones that are more than 15 to 20 cm in diameter.
- The rock you collect can be used as a small retaining wall, a fence around a pond, or an outdoor walkway lining.
Method 2 of 3: Adding Fast Reacting Soil Improvements
Step 1. Add organic compost to the soil you just turned over
When the soil surface is loose, add 5–8 cm of compost, and spread it evenly using a shovel or hoe. Compost is highly recommended by experienced gardeners for fixing clay because it has a soft texture and is full of nutrients.
- In addition to providing the soil with essential nutrients that plants will absorb, compost made from decaying plant matter will also help break down the clay particles that hold it together.
- Consider making your own compost somewhere around the garden. That way, you'll always have a stockpile of compost ready to use.
Step 2. Add 500 grams of biochar for every 5 kg of soil
Biochar is organic material that is burned at low temperatures until it turns into charcoal. The plant matter converted to charcoal has a lightweight, porous structure that is perfect for promoting drainage, while adding plenty of healthy nitrogen and carbon to the clay.
- You can make your own biochar by slowly burning twigs, leaves, weeds, and other parts of the bush under a thin layer of soil, then collecting any remaining charcoal.
- Ash from fireplaces, heating, or furnaces also has the same function as biochar.
Step 3. Spread manure on locations that are less fertile and want to be planted
Maybe you already know that manure is one of the best fertilizers. Like compost or biochar, this fertilizer will add beneficial organic compounds to hardened soil. It can be cheaper if you have your own livestock or herding animals, or get them from people you know.
Purchase packaged manure at a seed dealer or farm store. You can also ask for manure from people you know and own livestock
Step 4. Use a factory-made soil conditioner if you want a quick and easy method
If you don't want to go through the hassle of gathering organic matter yourself, you can buy a few bags of perlite, greensand, and similar soil conditioner. Dip the product into the soil as you would any other soil amendment. Make sure you do not use more than the amount recommended on the product packaging.
Soil conditioners are specifically designed to add micronutrients to infertile soils, while creating tiny channels that promote runoff
Warning:
Contrary to popular belief, the addition of gypsum to clay is not always beneficial. Gypsum can remove important nutrients (such as manganese and iron) that make the soil infertile, and can inhibit plant growth.
Method 3 of 3: Overcoming Difficulties in Cultivating Clay
Step 1. Add a top layer of soil if the plant is not growing well
Even though the clay has been loosened and added to the fixing agent, the plant may still grow slowly or even not grow at all. One quick solution is to buy topsoil at a seed shop and spread it over the clay. Next, you can move the plant to a new location with additional soil so that the plant can grow well.
- You can also remove fertile topsoil from another part of the garden to place on top of the clay that will be planted.
- Another benefit of adding topsoil is that it will gradually seep into the clay, which will act as a soil enhancer and may improve the quality of the soil beneath it over time.
Step 2. Plant some kind of cover to protect the soil when the growing season has not yet arrived
After the fruit and vegetables are harvested or the flower crops enter a dormant period, take advantage of the vacant land by filling it with crops that are preferred by livestock, such as alfalfa, clover, or peanuts. These plants can improve the physical properties of the soil by filling in the empty spaces, which will add new organic matter to the clay, and keep it dry.
Some other cover crops include peas, hairy vetch, and grains such as rye, barley and millet
Tip:
Choose the type of plant that can grow well in your area. Plants are useless if they die within a few weeks of being planted.
Step 3. Make a raised garden or flower bed if you can't solve the clay problem
There is no guarantee that clay will produce the fertile plants you desire. If everything you're doing doesn't work, maybe you should build a garden bed. Growing plants in beds on clay allows you to make the most of your garden space without the time-consuming aeration and aeration of the soil.
- You can buy ready-made garden beds and place them in several garden locations, or make your own from scrap wood, rocks, plastic containers, or wood chips.
- You can use garden beds to plant a variety of plants just like in ordinary soil. However, due to the limited size, you should only place one or two plant species in a single bed.
