“A garden is only as good as its soil.”
Clay soil will evoke frustration into the most enthusiastic of gardeners however, with a lot of love, care and commitment, it can actually be extremely productive. Most gardeners will be familiar with its traits and the recommendation of incorporating sharp sand (not builder’s sand) and organic matter to improve aeration and drainage but there is a bit more to it than that.
With clay conditions, the structure of the subsoil is as important as the structure of the topsoil. If you remedy the topsoil without rectifying the sub soil (where necessary) you will get water-logging at that lower level which will cause further problems. Heavy compacted subsoil will need drainage measures implemented, tedious but essential. The structure and friability (crumbli-ness; think of Cadbury’s Flake) of the topsoil is largely determined by levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and hydrogen. This is known as the Cation Balance. The presence or lack of these elements can be revealed by professional soil analysis and is crucial to addressing soil problems of any sort, not just clay.
Invest in a Test – Basic soil testing kits to determine the ph of your soil, can be obtained from most garden centres, however I always recommend a professional soil analysis to be carried out especially if you are growing your own veg. It doesn’t matter how much work you put in above the ground, if the soil isn’t happy then you’ll never get a healthy, happy crop.
Lynne Allbutt – From the Archive.
Soil is arguably the most important component in a successful garden. Garden soil is heavilly dependent on organic matter, the decaying of once living plants and animals. For your garden to prosper, your soil must be rich in nutrients.