How to Change Clay Soil to Loam Soil

Dig the soil to be amended to a depth of about 1 foot or as deep as the spade. Loosen the soil and turn it. Amending soil to this depth is sufficient for growing a majority of perennials.

Amend soil in sections by mixing it in wheelbarrows and then returning to the ground. This will make your work easier. You need equal amounts of clay, sand and silt to create a loam, as recommended by Carrol Shry and H. Edward Reiley in Introductory Horticulture. Silt is fine particles of rock larger in size than clay but much smaller than sand. Silt is often referred to as microsand particles.

Mix soil together well to improve aeration as the sand and silt particles create gaps or spaces in the clay, allowing the movement of water and air through the soil.

Add a greater percentage of sand to clay to achieve a sandy loam soil. If you increase the quantity of silt in the clay soil, the resulting soil will be referred to as silty loam. When there is more clay than silt or sand in the growing medium, the soil is known as clay loam.

Use organic matter as an alternative to sand and silt and mix in well with the soil. You may use mulch, manure or compost as good sources of organic matter.