The Good and The Bad About Clay Soil

• Clay soils tend to be tremendously rich in nutrients and minerals. In many situations, this is merely a silver lining on a very gray cloud. Particularly in the hot months of summer, clay soil becomes so hard and dense that it is nearly impossible to grow anything. In addition to the near impermeable density of these soils, they have a tendency to retain water which will often lead to root rot in vegetable gardens.
  
  A suitable soil for growing vegetables needs to be nutrient rich, aerated, and well drained. However, reclaiming clay soil can result in a truly productive garden. You just need to make a few basic changes to the soil to get it in perfect shape for gardening.
  
  

Dealing With Poor Drainage

• The first factor that needs to be addressed is the poor drainage of clay soil. According to the University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program, "Adding organic matter to clay and clay-loam soils will...improve drainage and aeration." If you can plan ahead, compost will provide an excellent blend of balanced nutrients and fibrous material to blend into the soil.
  
  Compost drains exceptionally well and will provide your clay soil with a more workable texture. In addition to compost, plan on adding a large portion of sand as well. Even more than compost, sand will improve drainage and aeration. Green Thumb Goodies, an Internet resource for gardening tips and know-how, states, "The best garden soil is 40 per cent sand, 40 per cent silt and 20 per cent clay."
  
  When determining the size of your future garden, consider the amount of additives you'll be purchasing. The ultimate result of these two additions will be a workable, well drained and nutrient rich soil that vegetables can easily spread their roots in.
  
  

When to Make the Adjustments

• The best time to add sand and compost to your clay soil is either the early weeks of spring, or if possible just before the frosts of late fall. Late fall is ideal for several reasons: the clay will be neither baked to a crisp or frozen solid, making the task easy as possible on the back. In addition, you want the composted material to have sufficient time to completely decay so that the maximum amount of nutrients are available to vegetables in the early stages of seed germination and root growth.
  
  Though possible in the spring, waiting for the ground to thaw and then an additional 2-3 weeks for compost to fully decay can cause you to miss the prime planting times for many popular vegetables. This isn't a problem in a crunch, but if at all possible a little planning will enable you to plant right away when spring rolls around.