Improve Heavy Clay Soil

[@ronallens6204]

U don't have to guess if have clay soil when you try to dig in it is when the shovel bends and you spend an hour using a pick to dig a small hole

[@zachlloyd9392]

haha yea, I have broken several shovels in just a few years trying to dig where I live. My soil jar test never had layers, just a lump of clay in the middle of very very muddy water lol. A pick is about the only way to dig here. My tiller just jumps around a lot and only gets an inch deep lol. IF I wet it, then it just turns into slop.

[@nicholasbenedetto6319]

I live in Chicago. I had 18 inches of clay topsoil, with yellow clay underneath. We had the sewer drainpipe collapse. They dug a trench 30 ft long x2 feet wide. So, I had a lot of that yellow clay to deal with. I used gypsum. Let it sit and percolate for 3 months. Had to pulverize it with a sledgehammer. Then I added sawdust, sand and compost, all in equal amounts. Used it in raised beds, adding 3" of compost and 1/2"sand, and 1/2" peat moss for 2 years. That's how long it took to make it decent. The vegetable garden was turned every spring for as long as I can remember. When I got my shot at it, I double dug it and added a mix of compost 3/4to 1/4 sand about 3". That year the plants were enormous and my mom freaked out. So, the best way to improve any soil is, COMPOST.

[@jacobcheriyan]

Sounds great, simple and very practical. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@TheSolarpunkFarmer]

Yes, adding organic matter is the way! Another easy and effective way to do this is to grow a cover crop. For clay soil you'll want to pick really tough plants with strong root systems like sorghum sudangrass, okra, cowpea, sunn hemp, sunflower, safflower, flax, etc. and grow them in a diverse planting of 8 or more species. In general you tailor your mix to your soil texture and conditions (i.e. low nitrogen availability, lack of structure, the presence of hardpan, etc.). Cover crops pump organic carbon straight from the atmosphere down into the soil in the form of photosynthates, and feed the soil microbes that actually improve the soil in the process. At the end of the season, you'll also have tons of mulch to cut down and feed to the soil, further increasing organic matter levels. I've seen cover crops turn rock hard dirt into dark, friable soil crawling with worms in a single season. They're even more powerful if you combine them with soil amendments like compost and manure. It may take a whole season but it's worth the wait. Plus you can interplant them with tougher veggies that do well in unhealthy soil such as beans, potatoes, and sunchokes.

[@mitchelpohl8635]

Yes finally a comment that has some facts behind it!! Thank you!!. I’m a zone 3 Canadian gardener. And cover crops are key to soil health. Always plan your garden bigger then needed and can crop rotate, compost in place and cover crop the unused area. Broad beans, oats, peas, wheat are my choice this year.

[@Naimimclauch]

How do you plant cover crops like okra or sunflower?

[@TheSolarpunkFarmer]

scatter the seeds and cover with 1" of mulch@@Naimimclauch

[@larks...3297]

Its the way he teaches.. been binge watching his videos . Some humans can really articulate their words 🫶🏾

[@FatherFish]

I have been teaching these same principles for aquariums. Aquarium substrate needs to be soil with a sand cap to prevent leeching into the water. This simple system works miracles in an aquarium. It is a joy listening to you Robert.

[@lizhorton5333]

Great advice. I’ve been gardening for 30 yrs. and I continue to learn. I thought adding sand was bad but I can see the value. However I agree that incorporating organic matter over time is ideal.

[@JadeNut]

Great video. I'm currently double digging my garden beds, removing the top 6 inches of heavy clay, then using a fork to aerate the bottom layer of clay before mixing it with mushroom compost, worm casting, and bark mulch to prevent further clodding. I also added live earth worms, red wigglers, and rotting plant matter (mainly vegetables) to further enrich the soil. I'm looking forward to next planting season! Thanks again!

[@bryanrawls4794]

But do you have that new secret?

[@1todobless]

​@@bryanrawls4794 what's that?

[@mitchelpohl8635]

You put bark mulch in the soil? Bad idea it will rob all your nitrogen

[@Rocketman0407]

​@@mitchelpohl8635its actually good advice for clay. Yes it will temporailly draw out some nutrients as it degrades, but you can just fertilize more the first year. Then the next season the soil should be excellent.

[@vnrkain1169]

My soil definitely contains clay and my only treatment/amendment has been to continuously add compost and dig it in. The in my present garden is a little over three years old, is now easily dug and turned over and is loaded with worms and all sorts of bug life. Works for me. Cheers all.

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

Thank you for reinforcing my belief that when in doubt, add compost. In Texas 8b, I'm growing on a thin layer of top soil over mostly limestone. You can see the yards and yards of rock wherever roads have been cut through the hills. So I keep adding compost. The plants like it.

[@myurbangarden7695]

Same

[@GARDENER42]

The one time I had a heavy clay soil, I added 15tonnes of sharp sand & the same amount of organic matter, then rotovated it all in. The difference was significant both in yield & structure. This was way back in the 1990s but I still bought your book recently.

[@jackman6256]

Ive been putting soid buster reddish in my hard clayish soil Plus compost leaves in fall grass clippings paper fish dig deep holes Add tin cans lots of tree limps deep in ground cover it back Dig holes add kitchen waste in fall of yr Lite disking to work it into soil I fine bones of dead things dug holes put it in cover up Ive also found my graden already has sand ? Plus i put in used sheet rock Ive been doing this for last 4 yrs I put everything thing i can think of plus card board still ground grows Everything pretty nice then after a few rains its over with starts dieing out

[@pamelahooper7851]

This was super interesting. The soil was stripped off here, to leave London clay, like ‘grog’ without the grit. I have been adding clay breaker, and it looks like I need to stop doing this, and start adding sand. Thank you.

[@Optimistforreal]

Thank you, my favorite myth buster! Everybody is talking about clay or sand. My soil is almost pure silt, and a really tiny bit of clay. The garden and neighbourhood is scratch new and I was in need of some more soil to elevate the ground to normal ground level at some places, so I bought some sandy garden soil and mixed in on some spots (only superficially because it is rockhard down there). I tried to grow some plants this year but they remain small and they're having a hard time (probably because the roots cannot penetrate the compacted silt layer) What would your advise be to improve silt soil structure? Till once (minimum depth?), then add mulching every year? Till a few years? Growing green crops and mixing that in into the soil? Just once? Only growing them and cutting them above soil level then mulch? What would be ideal and what would be best I can without spending more money?

[@christiefrenchie6718]

My local garden center believed that sand would turn my clay soil harder to work; then another source repeated it. I use lots of peat, but have sort-term results. I have a truck load of sand now and will try that. My perennial garden was once a woodsy bog. Raising the garden beds higher is my priority right now.

[@lovehorses2669]

If you could share the results, it would be really helpful to all of us.

[@redstarrmedia746]

I dugout my whole front by hand and sifted it also breaking up the clay clumps just added some compost hopefully I get some good crops out of it as it was back breaking but the earthy smell was relaxing

[@RRaucina]

Kellogs outdoor potting soil looks great but it is stunting and killing whatever I grow in it. My heavy clayey native garden soil, with sand, composted native brush chippings and lots of manure makes plants thrive. I am done with any "Soil" in bags. ON EDIT - 2024. Earthgrow steer manure is looking better and my veggie plants are thriving on it. Bought a pallet from Lowes to let it age a year. Used to top a newly seeded lawn - amazing growth and color.

[@MsLadyBluesWorld]

Late response but I'm having the same issue with that particular soil. My garden grows really slow or eventually they'll die. No wonder why it's so cheap for all that soil. At this point I don't know what to get

[@mitchelpohl8635]

Fellow gardener here the soil you buy you don’t know the source, if it’s been composted with plants that have been sprayed with residual herbicide could be your issue. If you have soil that’s high in compost. Some plants have allopathic properties that suppress plant growth. Sunflowers are known for this ability. Hope your his helps. Also look into cover crops they will build your soil from the ground up. Cheer from zone 3 Canadian gardener.

[@alecio000]

Ha, we just used some Kellogg to bulk up some vermicompost as a topdressing and the leaves on our tomatoes curled up into little balls, indicative of herbicide. Looked at the 1-star reviews on Home Depot too late: hundreds of “it killed all my plants!” I suspect they’re not careful with the sourcing of the chicken manure they add.

[@jenmiller9999]

He gets to the solution at 10 mins in. Add organics, compost, manure

[@bethb9248]

Thank you! I was getting tired of hearing everyone else's wrong practices and not hearing solutions, geez!

[@Bawdale]

I have clay soil and the best of all solutions is composted manure. It's the bugs and microbes that do the work and a manure based compost seems to be the bugs favourite. You don't even need to dig it in, just mulch with it every year and watch the change.

[@sherrymason8665]

Thank you. I was told gypsum also but I was worried about it and salt. So I thought I'd add the remnants of the leaves that's almost powder after it rains. My mom adds black topsoil and miracle grow soil to it and plants her flowers. I was even going to buy regular soil to add but wasn't sure if it was wise. In some spots of the land the soil is almost like concrete. Packed hard. The little area I wanted to work isn't completely clay but if I squeeze it I could use it for making pots or bricks. I'm glad I found you on the Google page.

[@jordycorvers7465]

compost. compost. compost;) keep heavyy clay covered and preferably perennials. good luck;)

[@jbc175]

I live in Georgia, and have established 2 yards in red clay soil that have been scalped for new construction. Red clay soil is very hard when dry. The following is what has worked for me and is mostly in line with what is stated in the video. Work in composted pine bark(organic matter). 1 part compost to 2-3 parts soil. Even this amount of organic matter seems to disappear in the soil in a matter of a few years. Work in a thin layer of pine bark nuggets also. These will break down over time and it seems to keep the soil softer longer. Plant your plants. Finally put a mulch that will break down (wood chips, pine straw, pine bark nuggets, finely chopped leaves, etc). The mulch is the key to lasting soil improvement in Georgia red clay. The only disagreement I have for Georgia is the thickness of the mulch. Pine bark or wood chips thicker than 2-3 inches have caused disease problems for myself and others. You could go thicker with straw, probably thinner with finely chopped leaves, but get it thick enough and I suspect you would get the same problem. I am always hoping to find a easier way, but over time for Georgia red clay under your shrubs organic amendments then mulch seems to be the answer. Additional I'd recommend pinestraw for perennials that sprout from the ground like daffodils.

[@watermelonlalala]

Bingo on the disappearing organic matter.

[@kodysherrer964]

Charcoal is amazing for our little microbe friends, id definitely look into it for that reason alone.

[@dennistrelinski1003]

Thank you. I live on the edge of a clay pit.(literally). I used lime and sand, it worked well. I thought on my own that sand would create some space around the clay.

[@pearlruth]

Adding sand really helped to loosen that 5-inch layer of topsoil. This summer, I am adding "dehydrated cowmanure". When the June draught hit, my soil retained the water from my soaker-hoses.

[@StayDownComeUp512]

I live in Texas and I want to turn my new property into a big family farm and market garden. The clay is real here. I don't want to amend and plant right away but I want to start improving a large portion over the next year or two. I want to do a till once and never again type of deal. Everything I watch contradicts the last thing I watched and I have no clue what I'm going to do now lol.

[@astrosoup]

Best thing to do is to experiment with different methods to figure out what works for your soil and climate. Talk to neighbors with successful gardens and find their secrets

[@robertreznik9330]

This part of Texas has cattle and dairy manure. I age my manure about a year before taking it from a pile. I till in 1 lb/square foot for feedlot manure and 2lb/ft for dairy. I do this mostly 4 or so years.

[@bobbun9630]

My take has been (for a long time) that the best thing to do is to disturb it as little as possible. That's mostly alluded to at the end of the video where the advice is no regular rototilling, keep it mulched, treat it like an established bed. I note that all of the things that people are supposed to buy and have to be mixed in, which goes against the advice to disturb it less. Basically, if you keep some mulch on top, the cracking issue is avoided and over time the creatures that live in the soil will establish a structure that holds air and drains water. Tilling undoes all their hard work. There are no instant fixes. Also, of course, if you must disturb the soil never do it when the soil is wet. That's just begging for a sticky clay mass that will dry as hard as brick.

[@juliknapp9270]

This is the BEST info I have heard I have been searching info. None of it seemed valid Thank u!

[@nickthegardener.1120]

Fungi help break down clay, deep wood chip mulch is great for this but it takes time. 👍🏻

[@christopherszwargulski7920]

Did a perc test a year or so ago here in St Louis. Had about 1/4” over an hour. Working on our rain garden now to get rid of what I call Lake Crestwood in my backyard.

[@kevins.3573]

What do you do when your established garden is removed for foundation work on the house? I'm left with big chunks of clay against the new foundation. Break up the chunks into a mud and form a ramp away from the house? Then, build a bed of my clay soil glazzed in sand on top of that? Loose dirt on top of that? We have about 6 inches of really amazing soil before we hit wet clay. Our clay stays wet.

[@TheTrock121]

Before we switched to permanent raised beds and created soil from scratch, we had heavy clay soil. The only real downside was that we could not rototill and fluff up the soil until it was dry enough. This made it very difficult to plant cold crops early enough.

[@cropduster123]

Get a glass of water. Next take your soil sample, (a large marble size) compress it with your hands, make it into a ball. Put it in the water and wait 24 hours. When you come back if the water is merky and you can't see through it , you've got clay. If it settles to the bottom you don't. If it's a mix you can guess pretty well by how much is on bottom vs how merky.

[@johnjude2685]

I've added sand and also thought my clay base soil had improve.But stopped because I heard that cement rummer. Thanks

[@lovehorses2669]

I got fed up with my soil, after I had several planting failures, now I am adding alot of sand, manure, compost and tilling all that in. No damage would be worse than what has been😅. Let's give it a serious try!

[@jeffrobodine9583]

I didn't watch the video yet but I will to see how our methods compare. Having clay is great. Add organic matter as much as you can get, the proper microbes, fungus ( I use happy frog 🐸 fertilizer for fungus) Cover with clean non colored cardboard and hay on top of that. Introduce earthworm's if none show up. Of course rototill the whole thing first if you can but it's not 💯 percent nessasary . Plant thru the cardboard . Plants like comfrey have a DEEP ROOT and break up hardpan and bring minerals to the surface and make plenty of vegetative matter to build more soil. I could go on but if you just do this the second year your garden soil will be completely different and will get better every year.

[@mrsc2983]

...I really enjoyed your common-sense approach....this newbie gardener thanks you

[@delanaespinoza]

Should mushroom compost stay moist to keep the microbes alive? In my compost, the most important ingredient is water to keep the soil moist because of it’s dry, the beneficial microbes die. Is this true? What are your thoughts?

[@Millenium2024]

What is the name of the other plant there behind you and next to the psuedofumaria alba? They are beautiful and I would like to plant those in my front yard. Thanks in advance.

[@adamgeorge37]

i go with topsoil because it has sand but also many other types of soils.

[@Maxindifference]

Calcium:magnesium ratio is the key. 6.8:1 is the magic number

[@souljahroch2519]

You just saved me hundreds, if not thousands of $$$. Thanks!🙏✌

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Do you do e-transfer? :)

[@skinnyWHITEgoyim]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 🤣🤣🤣

[@michaelripperger5674]

KZbin don’t pay much ! Lol 😂

[@omahanprabla3058]

It took like three years of tilling my hard clay backyard and tens of thousands of pounds of compost to set up my garden, now anything I throw back there grows like its no ones business.

[@albertmo1722]

Hi, Outstanding video! Very informative! Keep up the great work! Best, Albert from SF, USA

[@greatsoldier]

Your voice and speaking style reminds me of my pastor

[@pearlruth]

Great help for my efforts to improve my clay soil.

[@edivaughan1746]

Exactly what I am looking for, very much thank you!

[@shalinipaturi7947]

excellent! infio. i have listened to many videos already, but this is top notch .Please tell me which state you belong to. as that also makes difference for me when taking pointers . texas heat and drought has too many variations i need to adjust

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Ontario Canada.

[@Mrs.TJTaylor]

I had clay soil once that was as hard as a brick when it was dry and you could pull it like taffy when it was wet. The only solution was raised beds.

[@robertreznik9330]

Clay soils are not all the same. On the southern high plains. My soil is 1/3 very fine sand 1/3 silt and 1/3 Montmorillonite Clay. This clay in sheet size grains that has negative charges between the sheets that holds lots of water and nutrients. It first came from volcanoes in New Mexico area. It is a loess soil.

[@Simlatio]

In my opinion, if you grow in a sub-urban vegetable garden rather than a small farm, then churning sand into your permanent beds really is the solution to fixing clay. People say its enough to just add organic matter to the soil, but even they cannot argue with good faith that clay full of organic matter is better than sandy loam or even sandy clay filled with organic matter for satisfying a broad range of plants. The reality is that if your forever garden is in clay, then you might as well spend the $200 on improving the dirt's composition before spending years fostering excellent soil. I just feel like the argument of 'you shouldn't add sand, you just need to add organic matter' is as silly as 'you don't really need to exercise, you just need to eat healthy'. Its not BAD advice, but its not great advice either, and is either due to self-deception on the part of the suggestee or the product of a well meaning person who fell prey to the reiteration effect, often learning from organic farmers their strategies to improve large areas of farmland, which do not represent the best solutions for home gardeners. Besides a few farmers who grow a monocultural crop that favours clay, every farmer would settle on sandy loam as their dirt of choice, which really should be convincing enough on its own to convince you of the merits of adding sand, which unlike for a farmer, is entirely within a home gardeners budget, work capacity and time commitment.

[@PNWlawnguy1973]

My soil test told me the Sodium (Na) is high at 31.02 (.5 - 30). So, adding a soil conditioner to my Lawn will improves my water retention? I have a fantastic Green lawn but I notice drainage can be an issue with some areas having clay 3+ inches down.

[@plaga701]

I've read that the bond between water and clay is very strong. So much so that much of the water is unavailable to plants (source: Botany for Gardeners 3rd edition by Brian Capon, Chapter 8, page 180) Is this true? and does it also apply to any macro or micro nutrients? (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, etc)

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

" much of the water is unavailable to plants" - depends on how you define "much". Most of the water in soil is available to plants, but at some point the water level is low enough that roots can get any more of it. This is called the permanent wilting point. Clay does hold water better than sand or silt. roots have trouble getting cation nutrients (P, K, Ca etc) because clay is mostly negatively charged. Nitrogen is usually in the form on nitrate which is not heavy held by clay. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWbGemx_f56qmq8

[@chauchau1354]

How about add charcoal? It stays forever in soil.

[@rezganger]

hey! your book,does it contain all studies for all claims? i kinda expect it to be,you being scientific and all. thanks,

[@trumpetingangel]

Overall, good advice. And it maybe necessary to till the first time you're growing. But don't kid yourself that there's "no soil structure to destroy because you don't have a garden yet." Silliest thing I've ever heard. Whatever is growing in the soil, whatever is living in the soil, create the soil structure. You'll destroy it, and it might be necessary. But it's there.

[@johnskillen6208]

we live with black soil with rocks and clay under it .i am doing a test plot . am digging down 10 feet mixing in cow manure and wet hay in lawyers . yes mixing it all up . want to plant fruit trees and shrubs . will also be making a trench from ground level down under it with a septic field spread out . will only be from cow winter yard . what are your thoughts. each section will have a culvert standing up to be able to keep track of what the liquid is doing

[@masterbeernuts9344]

Legend. Thanks mate!!

[@pdav1285]

I'm wondering if he used all-purpose sand or horticultural sand as there's a clear difference in the size of the sand pieces.

[@carolgreenhill5684]

All clay is not equal. Black gumbo clay is very different from red concrete type clay. One issue with using sand, is the 'type of sand. Not all sand is gritty and porous. I've had sand that didn't drain, that held water and rotted plants. Digging 5-6" of organic matter is the best idea. My problem is that I can't dig into my ground and a rototiller does not penetrate the ground whatsoever; so......how do I get it into my clay? I have tried leaving leaves on the ground and it still hasn't worked due to not enough moisture for breakdown.

[@eric3434]

For red and yellow clay, with a trenching shovel or spade, I'll dig one deep but narrow trench the width of my plot to start. Usually I'll trench straight thru the center of the plot. Then i throw down 6" of compost on the top surface of the entire plot, and use the trenching shovel to separate the clay every 4 inches or so. Split the soil to allow the compost to pour into the separation of the clay. Than the rototiller will make quick work of it down to the depth of the shovel. I continue to dump on compost and rototill until i have a 50% mix of clay soil to compost. If the clay is too dry, a trenching shovel can't even penetrate it, so wet it down first and let it sit for a while. If too wet, its a clay muddy mess that sticks to everything. the moisture has to be just right to dig in it.

[@publiozinj4882]

What's worse is expanding Clay soil. In drought it gets huge cracks that I can't imagine are good for roots.

[@rufia75]

Huge cracks can be a sign of deficient microbial life in the soil, especially fungi. Fungi and other microbial life actually work to hold soil together as part of the soil food web. So if you till or deeply disturb soil, you break and destry mycelium networks that were holding the soil together. It might be temporarily loose when tilled, but will later turn to this deeply cracked soil. Another common cause of the cracks is lack of organic matter. How to add organic matter without tilling? You can try a broadfork and lay your compost on top of the soil in a no-till or no-dig style approach to gardening. Or you can grow cover crops in the shoulder seasons before or after your main crops.

[@skinnyWHITEgoyim]

Stuff alfalfa pellets down in those cracks as they appear and watch over time if those cracks dont stop apoearing. Also cover the soil with shredded leaves and grass clippings mixed and some alfalfa pellets mixed in. After one winter sitting it will give you good enough soil to grow anything you want

[@buffalopatriot]

Excellent information. Thank you sir.

[@jamespatrickbonsubre4743]

What kind of soil would be suitable for planting strawberry runners?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaHLfpaVh9CtldE

[@ASpinnerASpinner]

Bags of "garden soil" regardless of brand are not really what you are defining as soil in this case. In this video, what you are defining as clay "soil" is better called "clay earth", and earth, of any kind, is inorganic and does not decompose. Garden "soil" on the other hand does indeed decompose over time because there is little to no "earth" in it. It's mainly composted "forest products". So garden soil, being actually compost, is therefore definitely OK to add to clay EARTH to improve it since you stated compost is a good thing to add to clay soils (aka clay earth) since compost has organic matter in it. The word "soil" is very deceiving in the gardening industry.

[@georgecarlin2656]

Charcoal (biochar) actually works for clay soil much better than sand because it promotes soil biology. The main problem is source material availability.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

There are a lot of problems with biochar. I don't recommend it for the garden. www.gardenmyths.com/biochar-work-garden/

[@georgecarlin2656]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 Did you ever grow tomatoes in 20-40% biochar? Did you hear about Terra Preta or the African Dark Earth? Because I'm using it myself and the tomatoes grow better than in cow manure compost. I grew corn and greens in it. It prevents compaction which is 99% of the problem with heavy clay soil. Yes you can act like a vegan and only find what suits your bias, but if you want to have an objective opinion - try using it (and do so properly). A few years ago when I first learned about biochar I thought (like you) that it's basically worthless, and I learned a lot since then. By far the biggest issue with biochar (besides people's ignorance) is its cost, or the cost of production (because of lack of raw material).

[@themtwins7531]

Great wisdom. Thank you

[@arturowagner4728]

I had to learn the Gypsum lesson the hard way....

[@watermelonlalala]

Why don't they sell bags of silt so we can mix clay, silt and sand?

[@josephcutler8870]

I have red clay soil. Calcium and nitrogen deficient . I supplement with souliable Gypsum

[@mrjason9382]

Thanks for shareing

[@plaga701]

Why would adding compost to clay soil improve it? As I understand it, to improve the soil we need to: - Change the relative proportions of clay, sand, and silt (which just refer to different particle sizes, not to any specific element) - Make the proportion of these homogeneous across the soil we are improving How does adding compost on top of the soil achieve the above? Why couldn't I add silt and/or sand to the top of the soil to achieve the same effect?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

It is very difficult to change the ratio of sand, clay and silt - and it is not needed. Compost adds carbon, feeds microbes which improve aggregation and compost has a high CEC. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJPKeY2Mbs9riLM

[@bobbun9630]

The most important thing that needs to be added is none of clay, sand, or silt. It's actually a component you didn't mention at all: air. Having air spaces in the soil allows water to drain and allows oxygen to reach plant roots. Organic matter in the soil and on top will feed worms and insects that burrow into the soil and create air pockets. Plant roots and chunks of organic material will also leave air pockets behind when they decay. Vigorous tilling might look like it's adding air, but because the soil is unconsolidated after tillage it will rapidly settle and most of the air will be forced out. You don't have to go no till, but err on the side of tilling less.

[@bellabellabelladonna]

My soil is such dense and compacted clay that I literally can’t get a garden fork to penetrate more than 1/4 inch. And when wet it’s so claggy but STILL impossible to dig into because it’s so heavy. I’m in gold country, so there’s also weirdly magnetic chunks of metal in it. My plan is gypsum and then add as much organic matter as I can. I’m just concerned it will sit on top and not penetrate since the soil is SO compacted underneath. There’s no way worms could survive in it right now. Sigh.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

www.gardenmyths.com/gypsum-improve-clay-soil/

[@paulnolan4464]

Young plants have a problem getting their roots to break through clay,

[@RVBadlands2015]

What type of manure, chicken, cow, horse.

[@minwhalee6630]

Rabbit droppings are the best

[@Birdie83]

My landscaper just putting a sand instead of soil I just find out now I don’t know what should I do 😢

[@justinsane7128]

Will a Ruth Stout approach work on expansive clay in Colorado?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

yes

[@BermudaBrian]

Wow! Great info! Thank you

[@AndYourLittleDog]

I don’t have heavy clay soil but I see a lot of you tubers who tell horror stories about amending a bed and creating a bathtub or that they need small explosives to dig deep (joke)

[@Not_So_Weird_in_Austin]

Add compost, peat & pearlite, and gasp, cough, do a pagan sacrifice, whatever, then till, yes till to mix once. Then organic compost on top and build up organic to break down. Soil takes time and requires mulch.

[@lonestarcj8132]

How can you sit like that so long?

[@jamestalbert8358]

Thank you sir. Very helpful.

[@fencepost5369]

Thank you😅

[@jamespatrickbonsubre4743]

What kind of sand is suitable for Silty Clay Soil?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

sharp sand used for making concrete or cement

[@rufia75]

What kind of sand are you adding to your clay?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

course builders sand and gravel - the kind used to make concrete.

[@skinnyWHITEgoyim]

Good old sandbox sand for the kiddos sandbox works well for me.

[@Raul28153]

farmers have long plowed sand into their heavy clay soils.

[@KamiKomplex504]

I slightly disagree, I think humic acid and biochar does improve the soil but you will go bankrupt using those material on a garden or yard while you can buy compost or sometimes find/make it free and I wouldn't argue if you said it was as good or better than all that other stuff. Another thing, living roots in the ground, as much of them as often as you can of any kind until your soil is healthy.

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you very useful information 💚🙃

[@johnwhite2576]

Sand will turn clay to cement if you are not careful - plus requires huge amounts….loads of organic matter over many years is what’s required clay sucks big time…gypsum takes ages to break down and will excessive calcium to most soils…

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

I have heard that for 25 years - and for that long I have been asking for some proof that sand plus clay gets hard. I am still waiting to see some proof. But if you have some, I'd like to see it. www.gardenmyths.com/sand-and-clay-dont-make-concrete/

[@pauljones8438]

I enjoy you videos

[@Chuchonation]

Great… I got sand sand and more sand

[@jamespatrickbonsubre4743]

How do I improve Silty Clay Soil?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

add compost

[@roselynjakin5804]

Sodic soil - SARS soil test

[@ncooty]

I stopped with the reference to agricultural fields watered with salt water. Give me a break. Also, saline and sodic (alkaline) are different things.

[@jeil5676]

Mr. Garden Fundamentals. I dont know any other way to msg you but I have a question on NPK and I see you as the garden authority. I hear tons of gardeners telling people that NPK ratios are also percentages by weight and it doesnt add up to me. I also have never heard a munufacturer make that claim or seen a percentage sign on a label. You have so many videos that I didn't know where to look for the answer if you've mentioned it before. Could you clarify this for me? Thank you.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

You can always ask question in our FaceBook Group: www.gardenfundamentals.com/facebook-group/ NPK are weight % values, but it is a bit more complicated. www.gardenmyths.com/fertilizer-npk-ratios-what-do-they-really-mean/

[@jeil5676]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 TY.

[@sendit2gann1]

M

[@danabella6540]

I have chalky and clay soil. Worse soil ever.

[@marvinbrock960]

You keep telling what not to do… then mention organic matter but never demonstrate where to get it or how to apply it.

[@bluejay3945]

You really need to do your research and you are perpetuating the sand myth. There are tons of university studies about adding just sand to clay soil. Here’s an excerpt from the university of Arkansas: “First let’s talk about soil particle size. Clay, silt and sand are actually just names for different sizes of soil particles (see image below). Clay particles are the smallest and tend to be very tightly layered together. This arrangement in part results in slow movement of water into and through the soil. If the clay soil gets compacted and loses some of its structure, the result is even worse drainage. Image sho sizes of different soi Sand particles are the largest and tend to be more loosely arranged which allows water to pass through quickly. If you mix sand into clay, the clay particles will fill in all the open spaces between the sand particles and often the clay will act as a ‘glue’ sticking all particles together, ultimately resulting in a more dense soil. In fact think about the ingredients to concrete, which are gravel or sand and a fine particle binding agent (AKA cement which is derived from limestone and sometimes clay). Similar to how cement will bind particles of gravel to create concrete, clay soil can bind with added sand particles to create a more dense soil. Where this myth gets even more confusing is that most soils are not just 100% clay, 100% silt or 100% sand, they are naturally a mixture of some combination of all of these particles. The relative percentages of each determines the soil’s texture.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Too bad you did not watch the video. 1) As I said in the video there are lots of people who disagree with me. 2) As I said in the video I have yet to see a study - what you have done here is just copied someone's opinion. It is not a study and proves nothing.

[@alangreen2774]

stop waffaling

[@robertharvey3702]

I enjoy your content but I feel you do yourself a disservice by treating your own anecdotal evidence as wisdom and other peoples' anecdotal evidence as myth. Either you should appreciate effective techniques that other people present anecdotally without demanding studies as proof or you should exclude your own anecdotes from any conversation and stick to published studies for an conveyance of information. Whether or not you are correct in your observations, you simply can't have it both ways and maintain your integrity.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

The problem is that others peoples anecdotal information is always presented as proof, with no details of how it was arrived. I did not present my experience as proof and I understand the limitations of my testing. I also presented what other people have found. I acknowledge that they find their soil gets harder, but that does not mean this happens in all situations. If I had any scientific evidence I would believe it.

[@robertharvey3702]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 Thanks for your reply and I appreciate your response. I will concede that you haven't presented your observations as fact, but did give them merit in the conversation where it seems the standard would be higher for anyone else's observations to receive equal standing. I mean, it makes sense that you would trust your own senses more than someone else's, but shouldn't we try to remove our own bias? I think part of the problem is that studies are less prevalent for non-commercial gardening solutions. For instance, I can't think of why any company would sponsor a study to review the efficacy of corn flour as an effective garden anti-fungal (hypothetical). Who would stand to profit from those results? That leaves us with traditional application and/or personal observation as the only "proof" of it's efficacy. How do we accommodate for this type of evidence in the absence of published studies? Do we just dismiss them out-of-hand and demand proof? Also wanted to thank you for introducing me to Pseudofumaria Alba, which I find very attractive and appropriate for my Zone 5a location. I enjoy your content and hope I don't come across as critical of your excellent content. I'm just wondering how we in the gardening community can understand and appreciate techniques that anecdotally seem effective without being elitist and dismissive if no published studies exist to support our observations. Thank You.

[@watermelonlalala]

There was an Asian guy who did a video experiment with buckets of clay soil and he added different things like sand to see which one gave him the best planting soil. The sand was not the best. I think compost was the best. He filmed the whole thing and was one of the few who knows how to do a real experiment with controlled conditions, changing only one thing at a time.

[@Pepeekeo808]

In nature, plant roots grow in soil (a combination of clay, slit and sand) in other words, inorganic material.. You won't find plants growing in organic material like compost or manure. In nature, organic material is always found on the surface; never buried in the ground. If you want to follow nature (and you should), never work in or bury organic material into your soil. Never throw organic material into a planting hole. And remember, organic material NEVER becomes soil. Soil comes from broken down rock. When organic material is finally completely broken down through the composting process, two elements remain: CO2 and HO2.

[@JuanMiro507]

I don't know about this... as my most successful trees were planted in holes where the bottom was full with kitchen scraps.

[@KyrenaH]

If you don't have organic material, you do not have soil. You have dirt. Soil isn't just sand, clay, and silt. It's the organic material as well.

[@KyrenaH]

​@@JuanMiro507That's because this person either never took an Agriculture class or they fell asleep during a science class. I'd like to see them grow health plants without organic material. It's just not possible unless you use a lot of fertilizer.

[@Pepeekeo808]

@@KyrenaH You need to go back to school and study soil science, or read a book on it. Did you ever study soil in school? Soil is made up of a combination of Clay, Silt and Sand. There may be a tiny percentage of organic material in it, but it would be less than one percent. Please tell us how organic material would end up under ground in nature. Organic material falls from trees and other plants and lands on the ground or surface where it starts to decay. Organic material never becomes soil. . Dirt? Dirt is what you empty out of your vacuum cleaner or shoe.

[@ShoChaoChin]

talk too much