Garden Success In Clay Soil

Many of us live and garden in locations that are dominated by the dreaded “Red Clay”.  We have toiled and troubled.  We have given up and tried again only to reach the following conclusion: Growing a successful garden in clay soil is not worth it.  Not too long ago I fell into that niche of people who had resigned themselves to farmer’s markets or the local grocer for their fruits and veggies, uttering that it would be a cold day in the Sahara before I tried that again.  So there I was,  humbled and relegated to gazing through the window at potential that I couldn’t seem to unlock.  For me, gardening is a therapy.  It is the wonderment and satisfaction of working, nurturing and reaping the cycle of life so to speak.  It is a family affair that affords my 8 and 6-year-old boys and their 3-year-old sister an opportunity to learn and soak up this magical endeavor – they even earn money (or sometimes candy) for their weeding efforts!  But how can the riddle of red clay be solved?

It was a revelation that I later felt silly about missing in the first place.  Everything seems to grow in clay soil.  Grass, weeds, trees – as I studied a patch of centipede grass growing in the middle of a red/orange tinted bare spot (an all too familiar sight to Southerners) it occurred to me that the clay itself wasn’t the problem.  It’s really more of an obstacle that, if negotiated properly, can produce amazing results.  So it happened – that cold day in the Sahara came to pass.

Growing a successful garden in soil with a high percentage of clay is really more about you – the gardener – than the clay itself.  Indeed clay is actually quite loaded with nutrients that charge the stems and leaves to reach their potential.  However, the tricky trait of clay – the real pebble in the shoe – is its tendency to “bake” when the Sun takes up residence in our typical southern summers.   It is no different from firing a clay pot in a kiln.  It will harden and constrict which will inevitably close any means in which water, fertilizer or oxygen can be of use.  These tips are of course my opinion, but they were born out of trial and frustrating error culminating in that great word – “Experience”.

Tip #1 – Tilling:

Tilling is essential and should be a prerequisite to establishing any garden.  Clay will require an initial demolition just to break the air and water tight structure it has likely formed over the year.  Keep an eye on the forecast, and avoid the first (and any subsequent)  tilling efforts if it will be raining shortly before or after.  Tilling wet soil will only tax you or your machine (likely both) by sloppily accumulating in the tines, gripping them to a reduced rate of efficiency and exhaustion.  If rain sets in shortly after you’ve tilled, you will end up with a pretty row of newly turned earth that has the consistency of concrete.  I generally till a total of 3 times within the span of a week.  Clay is rich in nutrients, but if you elect to supplement the soil with fertilizer now is the time to introduce those granules.

Tip #2 – Maintenance:

An ongoing strategy for managing clay soil will include efforts such as weeding, aerating and watering.  Of course these apply to all healthy gardens, but clay can be very unforgiving and will test your gardening resolve.  Your highest mandate once seedlings begin and growth continues is preventing what I call “Clay Pot Syndrome” – this will be  the key to fulfilling what you set out to do.

Weeds – Because weeds will literally grow in areas that seem just short of Mt. Doom, they will invade your rows with fury.  Since clay absorbs moisture and then locks it away, the garden plants will have to be much more competitive for water, and weeds will steal it away before your  peas even realize they were robbed.  Mulch can help to minimize the voracity of many weeds and gives you an added bonus of preventing some of the moisture from evaporating.  Mulch can also aid in keeping the soil surface from feverish temperatures (if enough mulch covers the ground), and with clay in particular, that temperature can often be the thin red line between “workable” and “rock”.

Aeration – Another facet of a well-balanced maintenance program is to be diligent in regards to deterring the clay from becoming pottery.  If water and oxygen cannot reach the roots, the nutrient supply to the plant comes to a screaming halt.  The roots begin to suffocate – those open passages throughout the healthy foliage become arid and closed.  The 10-10-10 you mixed in at the tilling stage is like food in a pad locked pantry.  Keep a small cultivating tool handy.  Use it to periodically loosen the surface again, especially after a spell of high heat and dryness.  Cultivate just deep enough (being careful around the base of the plant) to allow water to penetrate the soil evenly again.  I have often used a 3/8″ diameter rod to simply place holes along and within the rows as well.

Watering – This is the point at which I will concede that gardening in clay soil can be a little more burdensome in the irrigating department.  But recall your highest mandate – prevent “Clay Pot Syndrome”.  Once clay has absorbed and squeezed out the moisture, it is only a matter of the sun entering the equation.  The internal (or sub-surface) structure becomes one solid mass.  This fact can be experienced by anyone attempting to fully insert a spiked rotary sprinkler into clay that has been “fired” by the sun.  I’ve broken more of those spikes than I care to admit and much less publish.  Keep the soil moist, but not soaked.  That in itself is a tight rope.

Tip #3 – Know Your Garden:

Rounding out your strategy for Operation: Enjoy My Garden is understanding and accepting that you simply can’t saddle yourself with trying to grow every legume imaginable.  The joy and pride in growing a garden will be amplified by successfully harvesting your hard work.  A very quick way to dampen the mood is to roar out of the gate with seeds or seedlings that will have no chance to begin with.  Target plants that will ensure success in the beginning.  Become a little more bold and brassy after you have developed a solid handle on the quirky characteristics of clay soil.  Check seed packaging as well; many vegetables and fruits have a cousin or two that have been specifically bred to grow in hard/rough soils (clay included).  My best performers include:

Zucchini – A plant that exhibits characteristics that are strikingly similar to weeds (they will grow almost anywhere).  Very easy and will provide more than you probably need.  A terrific “sharing” vegetable, as in “Here – I have absolutely no room for any more of these, so you take some.”

Squash – see “zucchini”.

Beans (Green, Butter/Lima, etc) – Most of these breeds are not as gluttonous for water as other garden plants.  Pay attention to the moist-to-wet ratio.  Keep them picked to boost their yield.

Corn – I’m convinced that someone, somewhere has grown corn on a big rock.  However, they do require sufficient water.  This is particularly true during the tasseling and silk stages.

Scarlet Nantes Carrots – I continue to be amazed at how well we have done with these.  Highly recommended for carrot lovers or rabbits.

Crimson Sweet Watermelon – Super sweet and easy to cultivate.

These are but a few examples, and you’ll need to research your area and climate to determine your best options.

At the end of the day, growing a successful garden in clay soil is more about how well you manage the clay and facilitate the nutritional power it holds.  It is merely a challenge to overcome and can be extremely rewarding.  Now for a few notes of interest:

*Many vegetable varieties will grow well in clay soil provided you implement your strategy.  However, some of those varieties can suffer more from climate issues such as heat and cold or too wet verses too dry (Sugar/Sweet Peas, Lettuce, Cabbage, Broccoli etc).  You will want to execute the same plan for colder weather plants with perhaps a little less Eisenhower gusto.

*Whether you go all out organic and banish all “unnatural” enhancements, or decide that you can’t live without that Miracle Grow – vegetables grown in your backyard and in your time are better than anything you can purchase from a store.  Fact.

*The health benefits gained from gardening are not limited to good nutritional value.  It is well established that people who spend time moving about and enjoying the outdoors tend to live longer, less anxious lives.  I’m pretty sure it has a positive effect on marriages as well, but I may have made that one up…

*The pest war will forever be waged in your garden territory.  This is in fact, a discussion probably better suited for a separate article.  Keeping the soil in top shape is great, but it will become irrelevant if your garden kingdom becomes overrun with invading marauders and beetle bombers.  Until then, keep an organic pesticide dust close by.  I use Sevin spray by GardenTech myself – don’t judge me.

~ by Kevin Parham on July 11, 2012.