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Southeastern Wisconsin is pretty much made up of 3 different soil types. If you go North of Milwaukee; in the Mequon and Cedarburg Areas the ground is 100% clay, if you go northwest a bit to the West Bend area it takes a dramatic 180 degree turn and becomes 100% sand. If you go straight west of Milwaukee, you hit Waukesha; I have found much of the soil from this area to be loaded with rocks, stone, and more or less a gravel/rock mixture. When it comes to growing things, none of these soils are especially good.
In this article I am going to focus on how to tackle that rock hard clay soil. In nature there would naturally be a 1-3 foot deep layer of rich topsoil and organic matter on top of the sand, clay, or rocks. Unfortunately, if your house has been constructed in the last 10 years - many homes are only left with about 3 inches of topsoil on the ground. Three inches is the least amount of topsoil you can have to keep your lawn healthy. The problem is your flower gardens and trees would like to have more than 3 inches of healthy soil to grow in.
Most plants thrive in loamy soil that is moist but well drained - this may seem like a contradiction; but this simply means soil that retains moisture, but does not stay too wet. Clay soils are rich in mineral-based elements and nutrients that plants need, but they have the opposite problem: they easily become waterlogged, as vital air pores fill with water. This soil is dense, hard, and does not let any oxygen into the soil. These factors can kill off soil organisms and injure or destroy plant roots.
In nature, forests and grasslands don't get cut back and raked up; instead, all the dead stuff decomposes into humus, which has many elements that plants need for growth. Humus creates a loose soil structure that holds moisture and air, and drains well. Copy nature by making compost in your backyard, or add composted manure or other organic matter, which you can buy at garden centers and mulch yards. Heavy clay soils will benefit greatly from adding humus. With clay soils, humus breaks up the small tight-sticking mineral particles and helps to create larger pore spaces that drain more easily and hold oxygen.
Before you start, remove grass or other existing vegetation with a flat spade or kill with a glyphosate herbicide such as Roundup. It's very important to do this job well, making sure that you don't have grass or weeds growing where you want to plant. If using glyphosate, wait one week before spading or tilling the bed. The plants you sprayed should be turning yellow.
Remove the topsoil and set it aside. Dig out about 4 inches of hard clay and have it removed. Place the topsoil that you have set aside back into the area that you have dug out and add enough of your composted manure or other organic matter, in a layer about 4 inches thick over the clay and dig it in about 8 inches this will break up the small tight-sticking mineral particles and helps to create larger pore spaces that drain more easily and hold oxygen. Be sure to dig in the soil amendments, rather than tilling them in, as this can pulverize the soil and make it too fine of a texture. Then add a layer of 3 inches of additional composted manure or other organic matter on top. Finally, make sure that you mulch between plants to keep soil from forming a crust.
Some things to keep in Mind are:
*Clay is hard, heavy, & tough to dig in; if you are doing this in a larger area it might be wise to hire someone to dig it out for you.
*You will notice that if you follow these instructions your bed will be raised about 3 - 5 inches because you are adding more soil than what you are taking out. This is intentional so your flower bed has adequate drainage. Remember the clay provides very little drainage and if you keep it at the same level as it was you take the risk of turning your flower bed into a bathtub after a hard rainfall.
Finally, after you have finished this process treat your new plants and perennials with a root stimulator that contains mycorrhizae fungus. Then sit back and watch your plants thrive!
Follow this process and you will be sure to turn your Starving Garden into a Goldmine of Growth!
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Office: Tree Transplanters, llc 6079 W Mequon Rd #155 Mequon, WI 53092
Turning your Starving Garden into a Goldmine of Growth for Clay Soils
Areas we Service Include: Mequon, Cedarburg, West Bend, Port Washington, Saukville, Belgium, Grafton, Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, Waukesha, Pewaukee, Oconomowoc, Nashotah, Jackson, Hartford, Slinger, Lannon, Sussex, Hartland, Elm Grove, Delafield, New Berlin, Milwaukee, Greenfield, Glendale, Bayside, Shorewood, River Hills, Wauwatosa, Franklin, South Milwaukee, Caladonia
