What is the best way to deal with clay soil?
Question:I have very clay soil in Aurora Co. I can grow grass, but it does not thrive.
Answers:
Slow cheep method: Aerate and top dress with compost in the spring and fall. Use a mulching mower. Go easy on the pesticides. Organic matter will eventually build up in the soil.
(You can usually get free compost from your municipal recycling center)
Fast expensive method: Kill your lawn (round-up or similar) Buy a but load of topsoil/compost mix, 4-6" spread over your entire yard. Replant with a quality grass seed.
Sand + Clay = Brick
I had the same problem. I tilled in some sand, which lets the water flow through a little better and I feel it provides some room for the soil to "breathe". After about a year, I noticed that we had some beneficial insects and other animal life in the soil, along with a thriving (and drought tolerant) garden full of white butterflies and beautiful flowers.
For clay soil you can do one of two things...the first would be to amend your soil.if your talking about a whole yard...it can be costly and time consuming..it would require loosening up your soil and adding manure, topsoil, or other organic material and mixing together. It will be quite a while before your soil loosens up and has enough organic material to grow the kind of grass that you see in the yards in magazines. You might want to check to see if your local garden center has any suggestions for a type of grass that will flourish in your particular area. Your second option would be to plant flowers and such that will thrive in clay...there are a lot of plants and flowers that LOVE clay soil. You can grow clover, roses, succulents, irises, yucca, any bulb flower, cannas, elephant ears..and many more. I lived in a total clay area for many years and you would be suprised what will grow in clay. I planted all kinds of flowers and they all lived and flourished.
add compost, don't grow grass, grow a cover crop like clover or fava beans that fix nitrogen in the soil.
It's best to find plants that are native to you area. Then you know they are suited for that. Also, try to find other plants that are adaptable to clay. Adding soil amendments is a huge hassle and will have to constantly be done. It's better to find plants already suited to this soil type.
Try this website:
http://www.conps.org/conps.html...
good luck!!
Add gypsum. It comes in granular form. Add it twice a year, or even more often. Over time, it'll break down the soil. It's not an overnight solution, but it works fine long term.
If you are just interested in improving your lawn, there are a number of things you can do without getting too complicated. This is a long term project, however, unless you want to dump a lot of money into it all at once.
Aerate the lawn with a machine designed for that job. You can hire someone or rent the machine. This will leave the little plugs lying around, but don't worry, they will disappear quickly.
Spread a thin layer of peat moss or compost over the grass, a 1/2 inch or so and rake it in. This will fill the aeration holes and increase the water holding capacity of the soil.
Apply some gypsum. This has the ability to help breakdown the clay soil.
Do this in the fall and the spring and you should see a great improvement in your soil.
Check out our website for more soil improvement ideas at-
http://www.gardening-at-the-crossroads.c...
Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!
Gary S is right. that was a very good answer.Clay is a rich soil if you can get it to give to you. Organic mater is the key. Do not work it when it is wet. I lived in Broomfield for years and you learn to work with not against you soil.
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