Do you think this will work to turn blue clay into good soil?

16 years ago

I have a large pile of blue clay that was dug out years ago and I was trying to figure out how to make it into good soil. I haven't got much of anything to work with on my property except crap rocky soil and this pile of clay and a little sand. I have an excavator here because of a bad drainage problem and wondered if this would work.

If the excavator guy spread out the clay say a few inches high in full sun and then I layered it like a lasagna bed do you think I could make some good soil out of it by next spring? How thick do you think the clay layer should be? If I covered it with black plastic it "seems" like it should cook faster.

Also if all I can find is fresh cow manure can that be layered in now? Would it compost enough not to hurt plants by spring? If it is fresh manure how many inches do you think the layer should be and should it be near the top or bottom of the bed?

I don't have much money but probably can scrounge up stuff this summer to make the layers.

This is what I was thinking for the order.

clay

cardboard/newspaper

sand

cow manure

then whatever else I can scrounge: leaves, grass clippings, etc.

I would really appreciate your suggestions. I won't be able to plant anything until next year where the drainage problem is and after that will not have much of any good soil to work with. I hoped this could be a solution if I can figure out how to make it work. If I could get it ready by next spring I could move it where I want to plant. What do you think?

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Comments (4)

reg_pnw7
16 years ago
Clay is good soil.

Sand + clay makes brick or concrete.

Clay that was 'dug out' is probably subsoil and not optimal for plant growth by itself. Layer it with organic matter and let it compost in place, to add the organic stuff necessary to make it into 'topsoil'. The upper layers of soil contain most of the organic matter and microbial life necessary for plant growth. The lower layers, which is probably what you have here, are usually deficient in these because it takes lots of time for that stuff to work its way down, and it can only go so far before it runs out of oxygen which comes from the air at the soil surface.

Fresh manure will be good as it will have lots of fresh microbes in it and you're not planting right away.

I'd do the layering in place. Clay is heavy and you don't want to have to move it, plus you disrupt the structure it's developing when you dig it up to move it. Structure is necessary for air and water to move through and that's the main problem with clay - air and water don't move well.

So, skip the sand. Everything else on your list is good. Can you get horse bedding, or chicken bedding, or llama manure? Stables and chicken farms are often looking for ways to get rid of their used bedding and it's great soil amendment. Tree chips from arborists too, you might get for free and dumped in your yard.

How thick? dunno. a few inches up to a foot or so. I'd put a layer of organic down first, to hopefully attract up any worms and such already in the soil. Then some clay on top, then some organic, etc. Plastic cover will help it cook but you need to make sure air gets in too. I don't know how long it will take in your climate.
never-give-up
Original Author
16 years ago
The clay was under the top soil and plant material and was moved and mixed together years ago. I don't know how deep the top soil was. A pile of the same stuff was spread out to level out the ground and fill in some low areas. It is mucky in the spring after the snow and rain, then dries hard as a rock when it dries up in summer.

I won't be able to layer it where it is as the pile is approximately 6 feet high and in an area full of ticks and also is very wet a lot of the time. I have a fairly level spot not too far from there though that the excavator could move it to in a few minutes. If I can make it into useable soil it will need to be moved out front next spring anyway.

I was hoping that if I started with a layer of clay only a few inches thick spread over a large area in rows with room to walk in between that I would have a better chance of making it workable faster. A small amount of clay covered with as many layers of organic materials as I could scrounge, let it cook then mix it together as I move it in the spring.

I thought of the wood chips, but wasn't sure because I thought it might take too long to break down. Would that even matter? I think I can get some coarse pine saw dust. Would that be better or worse?
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Kimmsr
16 years ago
"Topsoil" no matter where it is is only the top 4 inches of soil, although you can have good organic soil deeper than that. When some people talk about "topsoil" they are refering to the "A" soil horizon which can be from 0 to 10 inches deep, because it is easier than trying to properly define what it is you are talking about.
Unless you have enough sand to change your clay to around 25 percent of the total volume, forget adding any to make a change in the clay, otherwise what you propose will work quite well.
never-give-up
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you both I will give it a try. Putting down organic material first for the worms makes sense.

Do you think this will work to turn blue clay into good soil?

Comments (4)

reg_pnw7

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Kimmsr

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Do you think this will work to turn blue clay into good soil?

Comments (4)

reg_pnw7

never-give-upOriginal Author

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Kimmsr

never-give-upOriginal Author

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GET HELP

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never-give-up
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never-give-up
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