Did you know that the addition of compost will improve all soil types? If you add compost to clay soil, it will improve it more than any other soil type. If your soil contains clay, compost is an excellent source of organic matter.
Therefore, put as much compost on the soil as possible if you have a lot of it and clay soil. Clay soil is in desperate need of as much organic matter as possible. Adding compost to clay soil will always aid in breaking up those difficult-to-work-with lumps. You don’t have to bury it. It’s sometimes preferable not to.
In this article, you’ll learn how to identify clay soil and how to mix compost into clay soil.
How To Identify A Clay Soil
You must first determine whether your soil is clay. Clay soil is what you get when you walk on damp dug-up soil and so much of it sticks to your boots that you can’t walk. If it takes a heavy pressure hose to remove clay soil from your boots when you wash them, you’ve got clay soil.
However, until you add compost to clay soil, it will remain barren and lifeless. Worms are attracted to organic stuff of any kind. A healthy worm population is beneficial to all soils.
Clay soil will benefit from the addition of hydrated lime in addition to compost. The soil cannot ‘breathe’ if there are no worms in it. Plant roots require oxygen, and worms provide this by creating air corridors.
Facilitate air movement through the soil to aid in the breakdown of organic matter. The circulation of air in the soil will aid in the drying process. Clay soil will become saturated after prolonged periods of rain and, due to its composition, will retain rainwater for longer than is required.
Read also: How Much Compost To Add To Clay Soil?
How To Mix Compost Into Clay Soil
Compost of any form is one of the best things you can do for your clay soil. You simply cannot apply too much compost to your clay soil, whether it is well-rotted manure, leaf humus, or any of the various options available.
However, the following are various ways on how to mix compost into clay soil.
Use a shovel or a tiller to dig the compost into the flower bed you want to enhance the soil in. Make sure to incorporate some of the existing soil into the compost, as this will aid in the adaptation of any flowers you plant, both on the side and below the bed, to the surrounding soil.
You can start laying the compost on top of the soil and let it sit for a season or two if you have more time (and want to do less labor). This works best if the compost is applied to the clay soil early in the fall and allowed to sit until spring. The compost will work its way into the clay’s top a few inches (8 cm) and provide a good start for your bed.
Read also: The Ideal Compost To Soil Ratio For Vegetable Garden
Another item you can apply to clay soil to help it improve is gypsum. The gypsum aids in the separation of clay soil particles, allowing for appropriate drainage and water retention. Compost and gypsum will both lure worms to your clay soil, which will then aid even more because the worms will dig through it.
The worms’ digging movement will aerate your clay soil. The worms will leave their castings behind as they burrow through the soil, which will help contribute nutrients to the soil.
As you can see, improving your clay soil is simple and only takes a few steps. You will soon discover that your garden has the kind of soil that you could only dream about.
Read also: Can you compost weeds?
Conclusion
I hope you find this article helpful. I would like to hear from you. So, let me know if you have any questions on how to mix compost into clay soil.
