Advice about Clay Soil - improving drainage
WHAT ARE THE BEST PLANTS TO GROW ON A CLAY SOIL?
If you do have a clay soil you can help yourself by selecting plants to grow that
grow well in a soil that contains a lots of clay.
Some examples of such plants are:
Aconitum
Anemone
Astilbe
Astrantia
Cimicifuga
Forsythia
Hypericum
Helenium
Ligularia
Monada
Philadelphus
Primula
Primula vulgaris
Pulmonaria
Rudbeckia
Sedum
SOCIETIES
CLAY SOIL - A HEAVY DIFFICULT SOIL TO DIG
Clay soil is known as a heavy soil - i.e. it lies heavy on the spade.
Such soil cracks badly in hot dry summers and is sticky and unworkable in winter.
A clay soil is really river mud or river silt - tiny particles torn from the older rocks.
Although many gardeners dislike this stype of soil - a good clay soil is one of the best soils a garden can have as almost any plant will grow well in it. In fact clay makes a good soil if properly drained.
Clay soils are chemically and nutrient rich, being formed of varied particles. But it has the serious disadvantage that its fine, close material retains the water and will not let it run away quickly enough.
IMPROVING DRAINAGE IN A CLAY SOIL
Plants grown in a clay soil can become waterlogged, and eventually die of drowning. Therefore a stiff clay soil should be mixed with organic compost, leaf mould and sand or ash, to improve drainage.
Stones will help drainage in a clay soil. Never remove the pebbles from a clay bed. If you do not like the look of them, dig them underground.
HOW TO IMPROVE A CLAY TYPE OF SOIL
After digging in the autumn the surface should be left rough to allow the frost to break up the lumps.
An application of lime will help to sweeten the soil and straw manure, sand, organic compost etc, will help to lighten a heavy clay soil if dug in in the autumn.
ARTICLES ON GARDEN GROWER
Expert advice about how to improve drainage and improve heavy clay soils. Which sort of garden plants grow best in a sticky clay type of soil.