Compost: a Superior Amendment for Clay Soil
Clay is great!
Say that aloud at a gathering of gardeners, and you’re likely to be greeted with a chorus of unfavorable responses.
In Middle Tennessee, it’s not uncommon for gardeners to express frustration (to put it mildly) with our native soils, which are typically high in clay content. While clay soils can be challenging at times, they have several good qualities, including the ability to hold a high volume of water and nutrients. However, some of that “field capacity” is not available for plant growth and development, because the fine clay particles can tightly bind the water and nutrients.
Among other cultural practices, adding high-quality Compost to clay soils may be the most important step to improving the soil structure or “tilth”. Compost binds with the finely textured clay particles, making the soil much easier to work (improved tilth), and offers many benefits to plant growth and development, including:
1. Aeration – A soil with good tilth is not compacted, and can supply the needed air to the plants roots.
2. Root Penetration – The plants roots are able to more easily penetrate the soil, improving growth and performance.
3. Water Infiltration – Water is more readily absorbed by a clay soil that has been “broken up” by the addition of organic matter (compost). Surface run-off and ponding of water are minimized.
4. Water Availability – In a well-structured soil, more water is present (higher field capacity) and plant roots may run deeper, greatly increasing the water available to the plants. A 1% increase in organic matter DOUBLES the amount of water a soil can hold.
5. Reduced Surface Crusting – composted soils typically experience less surface compaction by rain, and less “baking” by the sun. (don’t forget to mulch too!)
If you were cruising the aisles of your local garden center, and saw this product on the shelf… “Super Soil Improver- tilth like your Grandparents garden! Plant growth booster with moisture control.”
What would you be willing to pay for a bag of that material? Well, all those benefits (and more) can be yours free-of-charge, for only the “cost” of your time and effort to make compost.
So, forget about that vision of hard-packed brick-like dirt that you imagine when someone mentions Clay soil. Get to making your own compost (if you don’t already), and continually improve your garden soil, so you will be able to smile and say… “clay is great!”
by Mark Murphy, CMG
[this article originally appeared in the
Rutherford County Master Gardener Association newsletter.]
Say that aloud at a gathering of gardeners, and you’re likely to be greeted with a chorus of unfavorable responses.
In Middle Tennessee, it’s not uncommon for gardeners to express frustration (to put it mildly) with our native soils, which are typically high in clay content. While clay soils can be challenging at times, they have several good qualities, including the ability to hold a high volume of water and nutrients. However, some of that “field capacity” is not available for plant growth and development, because the fine clay particles can tightly bind the water and nutrients.
Among other cultural practices, adding high-quality Compost to clay soils may be the most important step to improving the soil structure or “tilth”. Compost binds with the finely textured clay particles, making the soil much easier to work (improved tilth), and offers many benefits to plant growth and development, including:
1. Aeration – A soil with good tilth is not compacted, and can supply the needed air to the plants roots.
2. Root Penetration – The plants roots are able to more easily penetrate the soil, improving growth and performance.
3. Water Infiltration – Water is more readily absorbed by a clay soil that has been “broken up” by the addition of organic matter (compost). Surface run-off and ponding of water are minimized.
4. Water Availability – In a well-structured soil, more water is present (higher field capacity) and plant roots may run deeper, greatly increasing the water available to the plants. A 1% increase in organic matter DOUBLES the amount of water a soil can hold.
5. Reduced Surface Crusting – composted soils typically experience less surface compaction by rain, and less “baking” by the sun. (don’t forget to mulch too!)
If you were cruising the aisles of your local garden center, and saw this product on the shelf… “Super Soil Improver- tilth like your Grandparents garden! Plant growth booster with moisture control.”
What would you be willing to pay for a bag of that material? Well, all those benefits (and more) can be yours free-of-charge, for only the “cost” of your time and effort to make compost.
So, forget about that vision of hard-packed brick-like dirt that you imagine when someone mentions Clay soil. Get to making your own compost (if you don’t already), and continually improve your garden soil, so you will be able to smile and say… “clay is great!”
by Mark Murphy, CMG
[this article originally appeared in the
Rutherford County Master Gardener Association newsletter.]
