If your yard has clay soil, you already know it. Slick and soggy in wet weather and nearly impenetrable in dry, clay soil is actually composed of lots of densely packed, very tiny particles. Clay leaves little space for air and water to circulate, and the result is heavy ground that drains poorly. Needless to say, many perennials — or rather, their roots — have a hard go of it in such conditions (and so does your shovel or trowel, for that matter). Clay soil does have some advantages, believe it or not. It’s often fairly fertile because it holds nutrients and water so well. And of course, it’s slower to dry out in hot weather, which can help your plants.
At any rate, if clay is your lot in life, you have three options:
- Improve the soil’s structure. Add organic matter. Doing so can help lighten and aerate the area, making it more hospitable to perennials and other plants and allowing water to drain away better. Dig organic matter in often and deeply — compost and/or well-rotted manure are up to the job.
- Go with what you have. Plant clay-tolerant perennials, such as beebalm, cardinal flower, chrysogonum, epimedium, many ferns, galax, gunnera, Japanese iris, Japanese primrose, marsh marigold, or myosotis.
- Bypass it. Grow your perennials in raised beds or pots.
No comments:
Post a Comment