How to Landscape with Clay

Clay soils frustrate gardeners and home landscapers. Made up of very fine particles, they are rock hard and chunky when they dry out and slick, sticky and easily compacted when wet. On the plus side, clay soils retain both plant nutrients and moisture very well. Sandy soils have opposite characteristics, so gardeners often assume that the clay soil solution is working in large amounts of sand – a big mistake, because the small clay particles fill in the big spaces between sand particles so thoroughly that they create soil-based cement. Focus on consistently adding organic matter instead.

Bark soil conditioner
Composted manure
Shredded leaves or leaf mold
Grass clippings
Sawdust or wood chips
Compost
Peat moss
Perlite
Coarse sand
Garden fork, shovel or rototiller
Ammonium nitrate or sulfate or 10-10-10 fertilizer
Grass clippings or shredded leaves
Pine straw, bark, wood chips or other loose surface mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Improve the soil texture of the entire area to be landscaped before planting trees and foundation shrubs. If possible, work large quantities of organic matter into the soil for at least two successive seasons before planting, because thorough soil mixing isn’t possible afterward.
- 2
  Water the landscape area thoroughly. Several days later, spread 4 or 5 inches of bark soil conditioner, composted manure, sawdust or wood chips, compost or perlite over the entire area. Spread 2 inches of coarse sand over the top of the organic matter.
- 3
  Fork, shovel or till the organic matter and sand and mix it into the top 8 to 10 inches of moist topsoil. Break up hard clumps of clay with the shovel as needed. Continue cultivating until clay is thoroughly blended with organic materials.
- 4
  Plant foundation trees and shrubs. Work supplementary nitrogen or complete fertilizer into the soil surrounding each plant, because when large amounts of organic matter are incorporated into soil, the sudden proliferation of soil microorganisms temporarily ties up nutrients in the decomposition process.
- 5
  Mulch the entire surface of the landscape area with 1 inch of grass clippings or shredded leaves. Cover the fine organic mulch layer with 3 or 4 inches of shredded pine straw, dropped by the loose handful, or with several inches of lightweight landscaping bark or wood chips as top mulch. Mulch allows soil to retain moisture and regain its natural structure even under heavy foot traffic.

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