Got Clay?

Have you gone to remove a tree or shrub and thought, “was this planted in cement?”  Or have you gone to dig a hole and rattled your teeth from hitting rock-solid earth? Well you could have clay. Red or gray, it’s all around us in the Willamette Valley. 

Clay soils drain and dry slowly. When wet, they are sticky and difficult to work in. "Heavy" clay soils live up to their name when we try working them too early in the spring. If you work clay soil when it's too wet, it will make a poor seedbed of hard clods that roots won’t be able to penetrate. Most of us love to plant in sandy loam, but it doesn’t have the nutrients that clay soils offer. Instead of removing all your soil and the nutrients with it, save that back breaking work by amending your soil each spring and fall. 

You can amend your soil by adding other organic matter like mulch or compost. Make sure you use one that is well aged and comes with organic matter that is high in nutrients and bacteria your soil can use.  This will not only break down the clay consistency, but improve the health of your plants. Soil amendments can be purchased by the bag or by the truck load. In spring, prepare the soil when it's no longer sticky, and when a handful squeezed together doesn't form a hard lump.

There are three different ways you can amend your soil. A slower and simpler solution is top dressing your beds with an organic mulch in the spring and fall. The spring, fall and winter rains will help the nutrients and bacteria reach the soil, and slowly begin to break down the clay. Each year you’ll be able to get the shovel just a little bit further.

A faster method would be to bring in large amounts of compost and till the compost into your clay soil. You can blend up to 50% compost to 50% clay ratio.

You can also amend as you go, by amending the soil as you place in plants in your landscape.   To plant in clay soils, dig a generous size hole. You’ll want to dig a least twice the size of the pot your plant is currently in.   Mix the soil you remove with at least same amount soil amendment. To start the plant off right, we would also suggest blending a little transplant fertilizer into the soil. Place the plant in the hole and back-fill with your now amended soil. 

You can use any one of these steps, or all three steps to begin to change your soil structure and save your back.