All For Gardening
Tips

How Do I Improve Heavy Clay Soil in the Garden?



Dream of growing a garden, but have heavy clay soil? Wondering “How on earth do I improve this heavy clay soil?”. No worries! I share multiple methods of improving heavy clay soil in this video, which in turn will improve the overall health and productivity of your garden! You CAN improve heavy clay soil AND have a happy, healthy productive garden!

I asked myself this same question when I moved to a home with particularly heavy clay about 10 years ago. By focusing on the methods in this video, my garden soil has transformed beyond recognition, and gardening is so much more rewarding and enjoyable!

Some of the links included here are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. I will only recommend items I love and should you choose to make a purchase, it helps support the channel! Thank you!

Hortisketch Garden Planner and Garden Manager (use my code JENNA5 for $5 off) – https://gardensavvy.com

My favorite, long-lasting seed starting trays: (all about the garden): https://allaboutthegarden.com/?sca_ref=3177483.OMdSez9uOx

North Spore Premium Mushroom Starting Supplies (use my code GROWFULLY for 10% off): https://bit.ly/GROWFULLY

Lomi Composter: https://lomi.sjv.io/e43XYz

Dripworks Irrigation: https://www.dripworks.com/?ref=Growfully

Omlet Chicken Coops and Supplies: https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/?aid=KTYTQCQR

The best workwear for women: Dovetail Workwear- (use code GROWFULLY for $10 Off): dovetailworkwear.com/growfullywithjenna

My favorite minimalist work boots: Lem’s Shoes- https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=e8df0da8-a847-4269-8316-5d9656836fea&website_id=16c4848c-b204-4030-8a1a-31de06c7b635&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lemsshoes.com%2Fcollections%2Fwomens-boulder-boot-all

RX Soil Testing (use my code “growfully” for 10% off your order): https://rxsoil.com/nutrients?source=growfully

If you use Amazon and want to buy anything at all, click through with this affiliate link: https://www.amazon.com/ref=nav_logo?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=growfully1-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=a89f7b007b5c135500b2ade136c88ff2&camp=1789&creative=9325

#zone6gardening
#ohiogardening
#gardeninginclay

23 Comments

  1. Trammel

    FINALLY the video I've been looking for, much appreciative. My entire property is black gumbo clay and when it get's wet it becomes a huge mess. So it seems raised beds for the short term gardening while I use all the tools you talked about on the area's I want to grow in ground. Thank You

  4. KendraGodislove Jean Bart

    Hello. This is really good information. I live where it's clay clay clay all day. So I have a question, do I till the area first, make the raise beds, and then put down the organic matter or aged manure? Please get back to me asap. I am really interested.

  5. Dan Michael

    I'm a brand new subscriber. I can tell you know your stuff by the way you accurately described soil properties. I have been a Soil Scientist for 50 years – mostly in Western Ohio.
    One thing about higher clay soil is TIME. Higher clay soil may only have a few days of workability in the planting season. Your techniques will give the gardener more working time as it will be able to be worked over a wider range of moisture content. Thanks for what you are doing. I know I will learn a lot from your very practical videos.

  8. Truth Forall

    New subscriber here. I'm in UK and our soil is very clay and your video is very informative and we have been using cow manure successfully and manure from our chickens but there are still areas that are bad.
    Great advice
    Mandy UK 🇬🇧

  9. Kay C

    Use gypsum, it reacts chemically with the clay & does all the work for you, just sprinkle in on in abundance or dig it in for a faster result. Good to add some organic matter to attract the worms too. In Australia we have lots of very dense clay but we grow everything just by using gypsum which we also have a lot of here & it is so easy to use.

  10. Drew Middleton

    thank you for your tip to NOT add sand. I heard that recently and it sounded strange but I was tempted to try it anyway, so thanks for the save there haha

  12. Bekah Bishop

    I have hard clay soil arou d my oak trees. I would love to plant flowers between the roots. Do you think this could be possible if i plant these radishes for the winter to decompose first? This is so exciting!:)

  14. EAS-E Auto com

    I dug lateral trenches in the fall. About 1-2' wide with the backhoe. The clay is very sticky gums up the bucket often. Depth same as the width. I buried layers of leaves, mulch, compost, and chicken coop cleanout with pine shavings & straw. I buried them til spring. I also used the mower on cornstalks shredding the leaves leaving the roots. I tilled it up and was pretty nice. When planting 1ft mulch paths 1-2' planting patches between. On 50' * 12' it took some time, veggies are growing along with weeds. I'm only on the 2nd year and will keep adding as you said. I also add wood compost in each planting lane to add more nutrients on top to encourage worms. Has to better than last year corn finger size, lol. The chickens liked it. 😆🐔

  15. Steve Tendrich

    We tilled in yards upon yards of compost for the first two years. Then we dug in a lighter layer the third year. No dig this year. Ultimately it raised our whole soil level about 6-8"

  20. Gen Doll

    Is this the same as RED clay soil?? It’s SO HARD!!! And when it’s dry it creates these long thick cracks like a freakin’ desert.

    I did a 50/50 mix of my red clay soil and store bought potting soil and it still just turned into a hard block. I don’t know what to do.

  21. Futterman Farms

    NOOOOOOOO I was sooo with you until you said to fork or turn the organic material into the soil. LEAVE IT ON TOP and let nature carry the nutrients into the soil over time. It doesn't take long. Also plant cover crops when you are not growing your garden plants. ALWAYS have a living root growing. The cover crop can become more top mulch and make room for the next crop. You said it. leave it on top and it will work it's way in.

  22. Hello, Its Austin

    Step 1: Fence in the proposed garden area.
    Step 2: Set up cage traps nearby groundhog holes.
    Step 3: Release the groundhogs into the garden area.
    Step 4: Wait for the groundhogs to escape.
    Step 5: Fill the holes with organic matter.
    Bonus tip. You can have smaller fences you can move around inside the garden so there are holes throughout the garden rather than just at the edges.

  23. Be Garza

    New follower. This spring was my first year to start a garden. I didn’t know what I was doing I’m still learning. The problem I noticed that I ran in to is I did a little tilling and the weeds took over also I didn’t use any mulch until late summer. By then it was too late weeds took over and Ive been having to water A LOT. So I’m getting ready to prep the grounds where my gardens are at. This was very helpful because I’m wanting to use the sources that I have readily available to me to make my no till soil better, help keep out weeds, and help hold moisture in so during the hot Texas 3 digit summer months it helps to cut back on watering some. Thank you. ❤

Write A Comment

Pin