Clay is one of the most common soil types and can be challenging for plants to grow in. Learn when you should amend it, what you can do to improve it, and what plants grow well in it.
If you're willing to do a little work, you can still transform clay soil into a healthy, life-giving soil that will be great for all sorts of plants and even vegetables. It's what we call soil amending. So grab your supplies and tools, and you can start working on this in the wee...
Clay soil may have an overly low (acidic) or high (alkaline) pH value, which makes it hard for nutrients to be absorbed. Taking a soil test is the best way to find out the pH of your soil. Ideally, you want your soil to be in the range of 6.3 to 6.7. If your soil is not i...
Even then, be careful. If you’re working with the soil while it’s wet, you’re going to create hard clods of dirt once it dries out. The only way to avoid this is to amend the soil heavily while it’s still muddy, so you can break up all the clods and evenly blend the amend...
Clay soil will have to be heavily amended before a peony will do well growing in it. How to plant bare root peonies ©Nick – stock.adobe.com When you purchase a peony, it will often come as a bare root tuber from a plant that is 3-4 years old. ...
clumps, which improves soil structure. Compared to soil conditioners such as limestone, gypsum is soluble in water and can be spread over the soil for noticeable improvement. Clay soil composition will improve more if a gardener digs the amendment into the soil instead of top-dressing soil with...
Spike/slit aeration is much less effective than lawn coring, as it simply pushes the hard soil out of its way to make a hole, instead of actually removing a section and can actually cause additional compaction of the soil. Lawn Tillage ...
How to improve soil Soil amendments can improve both your soil’s texture and nutrient levels. They also canchange your soil pH. You can try different organic and inorganic soil amendment methods, below are some of the most common ways to improve your soil. ...
Where to plant and place your Asters Aster amellusare really well suited to a garden border where they can receive plenty of sun. Make sure that the location has well-drained soil and consistent moisture. Avoid planting them in heavy clay soils. ...
Geraniums are versatile plants which can add a multitude of colours and scents to the garden. Put these popular plants in any part of the garden, whether sunny or shaded, and with sandy or clay soil or anything in between. They are robust and easy to grow and have a lot to offer wildl...