Gardening with clay soil

Gardening on clay soil can be heavy and hard work at times. Its ability to hold water for a longer period than most freely draining soils can make it difficult to dig over, and it will easily become waterlogged too.

Don't be dismayed though, there are solutions to having clay soil that are easy to achieve and won't cost a fortune either!

How do I know I've got clay soil?

• The soil feels slightly sticky and heavy.
• If you rub some between your fingers, it feels smooth rather than gritty or sandy.
• A damp fragment can be rolled into a ball or sausage shape in your hands without it crumbling or splitting up.

How do I improve clay soil?

Clay soil can be improved by adding large quantities of organic material to it, such as compost, composted bark or well rotted farmyard manure. Digging in these materials will "open up" the clay and make it more workable, helping to feed plants at the same time. Adding grit also helps to break the clay soil up and improve drainage too, It does take a lot of material to make the soil more workable however and usually organic material is the lighter option.

Another option is to make raised beds with compost and topsoil kept above the clay, this is a good idea for bedding schemes where the root depth doesn't have to be too great.

Tips for working with Clay Soil

• Dig the soil over during autumn and early winter , after the least amount of rain has fallen, making it lighter and easier to dig.
• Once dug, allow winter frosts to help break down the soil
• Avoid early planting and sowing as clay soils take longer to warm up in the spring and so development of plants will be delayed.
• Warm up soil, if needed, by using cloches or polythene sheets before any planting.
• Apply organic based mulches around trees and shrubs to help avoid the soil drying out and cracking in the summer months.

What plants can I use on clay soil?

If you are looking to "grow your own" on a vegetable plot that has clay soil then lettuce, beans and other shallow rooted crops enjoy the soil's ability to retain moisture. Equally brassicas such as cabbage, Brussell sprouts and broccoli also enjoy have their roots in stable, firm soil. Pumpkins, squashes and courgettes also grow really well in clay soil, providing they have a planting hole dug for them.

Fruit trees will thrive on clay soil and also some soft fruits like raspberries and strawberries also do well.

For more ornamental plants then trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and bulbs are much easier to grow on clay soil as they do not require repeat sowing, planting or dividing that some annuals and perennials do.

Examples of that will grow in clay soil:

Trees

Shrubs

Perennials