Amending Clay Soil

[ALHILLDIRT]

Anyone have any ideas on a cheap way to amend clay. I have a heavy clay soil on a slope approximately 2 acres. I've hauled in topsoil to cover other similar areas, but that can get expensive in a hurry given the quantity required. My end goal is to seed with a grass cover. Anyone have experience with using sawdust? Or any other ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Egon]

There are no cheap fast alternatives.

The addition of organic matter in some form will help.

Growing gras and letting it decompose back into the soil will work but does take time.

 

[ampsucker]

i would say you "have" to incorporate organic matter in. clay is composed of very fine particles of silt. you need to break them up and intersperse large particles to keep them away from each other so things like water, oxygen and roots can penetrate the matrix.

i would wait until it dries out, then rent/buy a rear tiller/plow/harrow/disc etc and incorporate all the dead leaves, grass clippings, mulch, etc. you can find as deep as you can get it economically. then, this fall, seed in your ground cover of choice.

depending on your area, ice storms may have left a lot of branches close to your area which can be a cheap source of mulch if you can find them. just about any organic material will do. some do take longer to decompose than others.

good luck,

amp

 

[ray66v]

I am on my second home where the entire property is composed of clay fill. This time it is about 4 acres. After trying everything out there, I have come to the conclusion the only reasonable option is to plant the grass in the clay, you may not have quite as nice a lawn but, it is possible to grow very nice grass in clay. You just have to feed it more.

For the garden, the least complicated way I have found is to add commercial compost. In this area, this tends to be made from decomposed mulch and mulch byproducts. It is effective, and contains no weeds, (I consider this a big bonus). It does however, have a strong odor, much like you get with some mulches. This can last a few weeks.

If you have a slope, tilling in anything can be a problem. Particularly with erosion. I would consider a slit seeder and sow in the soil as it is, if this is a concern.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Some good advice so far. With regard to using sawdust, yes you can till it directly into the soil but as it decomposes it will deplete the nitrogen content so you have to add more fertillizer with a higher nitrogen component. With sawdust, I find that it is better if you compost it before adding it to the soil.

In short, anything organic or even sand, will help to open up the soil but grass can be grown successfully on clay. Why not chat with your local extension agent to find out the best varieties for your area and soil type.

 

[jbrumberg]

There is no "quick fix" . I agree with all the previous posts. Incorporated organic material will initially deplete your soil of nitrogen as the soil microbes break down the organic material. You could also add ground rock powders for micronutrients. You should also test your soil for NPK. I use a soil test kit- they are not expensive. Jay

 

[ToadHill]

Organic matter is the only way to amend clay soil. If you add sand to it you will get a good substitute for cement. It is also said that adding Gypsum will help but studies have shown that to amend a quart of clay with gypsum you need 4 quarts of gypsum, not a fun prospect.

Actually some clay in garden soil is a good thing. It contains lots of trace minerals.

 

[Onthesauk]

To break up the clay in my garden area, I hauled in about 20 yards of fresh cow manure/sawdust bedding from a dairy farm. This each year for 3 years. The sawdust was from a hardwood mill, mostly alder and maple so probably better then fir and hemlock we normally get here in the NW.

 

[VABlue]

Amending 2 acres can be an expensive option. If you have the time and don't need a picture perfect yard next week, just plant the grass and feed it well. Check with the local co-op for the right kind of grass seed. Till up the area before seeding, smooth it out, seed, then cover the seed. You can also mix clover in with the grass. Clover will add nitrogen to the soil and grows in anything - it's a good natural fertilizer. You will probably want to add fertilizer well above the label recommendations.

Of course, keep it watered and keep people/animals off it for the first few months. If you can do that, grass will grow well enough to look good.

 

[john_bud]

If there is a paper mill around, the waste product is spread on fields to add organics. Fairly cheap.


You will probably need lime too.

jb

 

[ALHILLDIRT]

After trying everything out there, I have come to the conclusion the only reasonable option is to plant the grass in the clay, you may not have quite as nice a lawn but, it is possible to grow very nice grass in clay.

I had just about come to the same conclusion, and was making good progress, until we decided to build a house in the middle of the property. We had to have somewhere to go with dirt when they excavated the basement, and the rest is history. The clay that is now on top of the ground was once 20' below the surface. If it's dry, it's hard as concrete, any mositure and it turns to a slick gooey mess.

 

[EddieWalker]

You didn't saw what type of grass you are trying to grow, or what your goals are for this grass. Bermuda Grass grows great in clay, as do allot of other Southern, Warm Season Grass varieties. If you do some research into the different types of Bermuda Grass types, you'll find something for everyone. From fast growing hay fields, to extreme drought tollerant to very fine bladed grass and even for golf courses.

I have clay soil, but consider it a good thing. I like it and I like the way it holds moisture for my trees and pastures. I never have to water, and it's green all season long.

The most common thing to add to clay soil is lime. Clay can have a high acidic level, so the lime is used to lower that, which is good for some plants. Some types of grasses, and especially pine trees, like it jus the way it is. Most of my fields have never had anything added to them. I just disk the soil and drag is smooth. Through out the seed when it's hot outside and wait.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[ray66v]

The most common thing to add to clay soil is lime. Clay can have a high acidic level, so the lime is used to lower that, which is good for some plants. Some types of grasses, and especially pine trees, like it jus the way it is. Most of my fields have never had anything added to them. I just disk the soil and drag is smooth. Through out the seed when it's hot outside and wait.

Good luck,
Eddie

It is common to see people add lime to clay, and it is he WORST thing to add to clay. Clay is the opposite of acidic, it has no organic material. Clay soil usually has a very high ph, adding lime raises the ph even more, you need to lower the ph, the best way to do that is to add organic material.
A $5 ph tester will confirm all this.

 

[Darren]

We bought the adjoining farm that had been owned by a lumber company. They had spread sawdust at least 8" deep over much of the pastures. Nothing grew there for about six years. It's gradually coming back. But it's still not as good as it was according to the oldtimers in the area.

For long term improvement plant a cover crop such as vetch which will add nitrogen to the soil. Till in for a couple of years and you'll be amazed at the results.

 

[ray66v]

The amending process has to be slow and careful, otherwise you kill beneficial organisms in the soil, and remove possibly all the oxygen. Add organic material that has not been composted in moderation.
There should be no doubt that you can not add 8" of sawdust and get a quick, positive result. It would take years for this to break down and mix well with the soil.

If there was a fast easy way to amend soil, no one would have bad soil.

This is why I said before, your better off planting the grass in the clay.

 

[MarkV]

Amending 2 acres would take way more compost than I could afford. The cheapest way would also take the most patience. A soil test would be the first thing to do so you know what the soil is lacking. Unlike Ray66v’s area our clay soil in Georgia always needs lime according to the soil tests the state university does through the extension service. Putting in a cover crop several times a year for a couple of years and tilling it in will do wonders if you can wait for grass that long. As said there isn’t any cheap quick way to fix our southern clay.

MarkV

 

[crabjoe]

Add organic matter, like everyone's been saying.

Compost is CHEAP if you get it from your town/county or city. Call your local landfill or waste water treatment plant about it. Around here, I pay anywhere from $5 to $10 for a pickup or trailer full of finished compost.

You might also want to check into river bottom. My local wastewater treatment plant gives that away for free. When they pull in water from the river, it never fails to suck up super rich soil and they're not allowed to dump it back into the river. The soil gets washed down the river after a good rain from all the farms up river.

Good Luck getting your soil amended!!

 

[NFA Fun]

This first thing I would do is go down and talk to a soil scientists at your local cooperative extension office or the Natural Resource Conservation Service. They will have the knowledge of the local soils and will be able to guide you in the right direction. Their services are free, and they usually have "contacts" that can help with the amendments. Just throwing stuff at the soil to break it up could have a long term negative effect.

 

[MacLawn]

Since I only recently learned what "amend" the soil means, don't listen to what I say! However, I also live in about the same type of clay soil area as you - east central GA; red clay totally on my 4 acres. I can tell you that centipede grass REALLY grows in this soil. It's the only kind I have had success with, but neighbor planted some zoysia on his pond dam and it did okay, but not as well as the centipede. Neighbor across the road has a 10 acre pasture with coastal bermuda and it seems to be doing fine. It was all woods until about 6 years ago when he had the forest turned into pasture. That was fun to watch, as his $$ was flowing with the diesel the equipment used! He only left about 40 oaks on the 10 acres, and a few cedars, nary a single pine left... Anyway, keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[Airic]

MacLawn, is that an Indigo Bunting in your sig? I'm not a bird watcher or anything but, I am an observer of all nature I see on my land and then reseach and learn. Just saw one of these for the first time this spring.