Clay soil can be farmed with a little preparation
If you have a plot of farmland that has a high clay content in the soil, it will be very difficult, if not impossible to farm. Particles of clay will stick to each other, stopping it from draining efficiently. Because of this, water from rain or irrigation will run off the surface of the soil, flushing any nutrients along with it. Other nutrients from decomposing material will have a difficult time getting down into the soil. There is good news, though. With some time and patience, the soil can be amended or altered to make it healthy for farming.
Instructions
1. Perform a simple 'hand' test to determine the amount of clay in the soil. Put a 1/4 cup of soil in your hand and wet it with ordinary water from a squirt bottle until the soil is moist, not soggy. Squeeze the soil together in your palm; if it sticks together in a ball and does not separate, it has a lot of clay, but if it separates easily, the clay content is lower.
2. Buy a soil test kit to determine the phosphorus, nitrogen and pH of your soil. Follow the directions for testing a sample of soil to figure out what sort of amendments you will need for the soil. Add a 3 or 4 inch layer of an organic compost like bark or coarse mulch onto the soil. Use a rototiller or tractor to till the material into the soil so it will help keep the clay from sticking together. Till in a mixture containing lime to neutralize the soil if it is acidic.
3. Add additional nutrients into the soil by growing a fast-growing cover crop like clover or alfalfa and let it die off without cultivating so it will add nitrogen to the soil when it decomposes. Till the dead cover crop into the soil until it is completely mixed in. Water the plot to allow the nutrients to disperse into the soil.
4. Plow rows and use a seed disperser to plant the crop seeds. Water the plot until the water has soaked down through the soil at least a couple of inches. Irrigate the crops until the seeds germinate and become established, then set up an irrigation schedule according to the climate.
Related posts
Clay soil dries to a hard crust.Clay soils are a common feature near mountain ranges where rock breaks down. The soil is composed of tiny, fine soil particles that pack together so tightly that wa...
Plants will not grow well in clay soil.Clay soil is soil in which the individual particles are as fine as dust. Clay particles pack together very tightly so that air and water cannot move well thr...
Clay soil can be difficult to work with.Clay soil can be difficult if not impossible for the casual gardener to work with. Clay soil is very fertile but needs to be loosened up a bit to allow tend...
Treat Clay SoilClay soil is a problem in the garden when growing vegetables, trees, or foliage. Clay compacts easily and can become waterlogged. This leaves little room for oxygen to get to the pl...
Fix your clay soil in order to prevent your olive trees from contracting root rot from saturated soil.Olive trees originated in the tropical region of the Mediterranean. Because they have evolved...
