There are many types of soil available in the patches, according to the different areas in the world and especially in the states. As the terrain differs, the makeup of the soil also differs. You would find different types of soil like it can be clay soil, loamy soil, sandy soil, and slit soil.
If you find any of these types of soil in your garden, you might wonder how these soils are good or bad for the garden or the plant. How to alter this soil to make it suitable for the plants? What materials are required for the particular type of soil?
Wonder if the clay soil is in your patch of land what you are going to do? You might wonder if I should know about it. This knowledge will give you an edge as well as you would be able to alter the soil and you would be able to choose the plants which should be planted. That’s why we are going to tell you will plants grow in clay soil?
Clay soil and its Characteristics
Clay soil is available in many settings. This clay soil is not considered well for plantation and gardening. You can mostly find it and observe it in many ways at many places and stages of gardening. Also, you might find this type of soil at some stage of gardening like during digging and plowing.
The particle size of the clay soil is very small. It is very tiny in size. When these particles are set, due to their crystal structure qualities, the clay gets special types of qualities. These qualities play on both sides of plants. These can be beneficial as well as harmful to plants.
This soil can hold water in it. You might find it good, but it is not good for the plants always. The over-watering can cause root rot as well. This water-holding ability gets the clay soil very hard as well.
Main problems of the clay soil for the plants
There are many reasons which you would have heard, that this soil is not good for gardening and plantation. But there are three main reasons, which play important role in this process of clay soil’s inability for the garden and plantation.
Air movement in the clay soil
As the particle size of the clay is very small. It sets in a way that is purely made in order. As time passes the crystals and particles of the clay soil become smaller and smaller. This becomes compact making it almost very dense.
This dense and compact setting of the particles makes it almost impossible for the soil to make the airflow through the clay soil. it makes it very difficult for the air and the life of the soil is negatively affected.
As the soil life deteriorates, it is not able to take good care of the plants. The nutrients usually react with the soil and air and then the pant gets their food. Moreover, as the air circulation in the soil doesn’t go well, the life inside the clay soil starts dying. Also, the plants in the clay soil start dying.
Water retention quality of the clay soil
Also, the clay soil can retain a good amount of water in it, due to the compact and small size of the particles. You might wonder if it is good that your plants in the garden will remain wet. They will grow well and prosper easily.
When water remains in the clay soil, it also becomes sticky. Moreover, water retention makes air circulation in the soil difficult. Also, when this soil is dried, water goes out the soil become very hard and there become cracks in it.
It becomes hard like a rock when water is dried. Also, the cracks in the clay soil make it very difficult to get the plantation from this soil.
The compact and small size of particles of the clay soil
This is the main reason which ultimately gives the root cause of more of the problems. The particle size of the clay soil is very small. Over time it becomes more and more compact holding nutrients and water in the soil.
The clay soil which has the nutrients and water held isn’t good always for the plants. It avoids air circulation as well as causes root rot in the plants. The plants don’t get enough air, as well as nutrients.
In the summers, when the soil gets dry you will see that the soil has become very hard. Also, there appear cracks in the clay soil.
Preparing the clay soil for plant growth
Now you have seen the problems. The question is will plants grow in the clay soil? we need to amend the soil after that you would be able to plant your garden. The main problems to solve are compaction, water retention, and air circulation.
There are many other methods to do so, but the addition of the many types of organic material is also very good. It will lighten up the soil, making it loose from being compact. Also, this loosening will result in increased air circulation and managed water retention.
Leaf molds
You can use leaf molds to get the clay soil right. Problem is that you would not be able to get the leaves from the shops or horticultural centers. Rather you would have to produce it by yourself. Get it from the wooded area. You would see that it contains nutrients, water, and air.
Also, leaf molds are good because it makes water retention better, make air circulation good, and create space for the plant’s growth. They make the plant prosper easily.
Cover crops
Soil is covered when it is free, or dormant. This covering of soil makes the dormant soil good for the plantation. It adds nitrogen to the soil, as well as a good amount of organic matter to the soil, which makes the clay soil ready for the plantation.
If you can bury the crops in the soil it’s more than enough. Otherwise, just cover it, and worms will take the soil by themselves, making the clay soil ready for the plantation.
Manure available at the farm
Add all the manure available at the farm. The animals who eat vegetables, or greenery not any meat, add their manure should be added. Organic manure has many effects on clay soil. It makes the soil ready for gardening.
It loosens the compaction of the clay soil. it makes air circulation good, and it provides life to the soil. it is because organic manure is always being used to increase the fertility of the soil.
Compost
Compost has the same benefits as farm manure. It is also commonly used to loosen the compaction, for the betterment of airflow, as well as to increase the fertility of the soil. Just get your compost ready.
By adding compost to the clay soil, you would be able to get the soil in the normal gardening form, as well as an increase in the fertility of the soil.
Will plants grow in clay soil? Conclusion
Now you know what clay soil is, and how it has inherent problems in it. These problems are the clear cause of this soil being not suitable for gardening and plantation. But now you know how to get it right. Yes, now plants will grow easily in clay soil.
You can try different plants and shrubs in the clay soil. Like aster, Russian sage, elderberry, itea, cup plant, hosta, hydrangea, butterfly weed, and little bluestem, etc. Or you can try different plants as you will amend the clay soil for all kinds of plants.
In short, the clay soil can grow a limited amount of plants. But if you can get the problems of clay soil adjusted you can easily go for any of the plants. Because if the basic conditions of the soil are met, the plant grows and prospers steadily.
