Clay Soil--how do I improve it for gardening?

[~gd]

We have very heavy clay soil on land that was just cleared of trees and brush. What should I do to start improving it for a spring garden? We live in Southeast Alabama, so the winter is very mild. Don't know if there is something I could plant over the winter that could be turned under in the spring?

Grow buckwheat or another cover crop, and then till it under. Compost, definitely....and most importantly, TIME.

Drainage itself is important. If you carve out a garden in a plot heavy clay soil, you could find yourself, after a few seasons, creating essentially a clay "bowl" filled with your good soil that then fills with water after every rain.

True on the bowl thing BUT in a hot climate the normal soil wicks the water upwards where it evoporates this one of the best reasons for avoiding dry salt type chemical fertilizers as the salts remain in the bowl. If you are dealing with 'hard pan' with good drainage below the pan just punch some holes throught the pan otherwise think about where you can run a ditch.

 

[Happy to be Me]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I was already planning to put the compost that I currently have out there, but will concentrate on getting a lot more (as cheaply as possible!) I think we are going to be okay on the drainage since it is on a higher area that slopes down somewhat. The water runs off of it now, but I'll keep an eye on it as we begin to improve the soil and see if that changes over time. I'm wondering if we might have some erosion problems once we get the soil loosened, so cover crops would help with that. Going to look up buckwheat now...

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I'm in Southeast LA and I have heavy clay also. I flood, so I have to have raised beds, but haven't always....sometimes I've taken chances, if I planted things that grew fast and needed minimal care.
Some things you can just throw down and it will grow. If you have a big spot clear and enough sun, just go ahead and spread some turnips and mustard seeds.
Now go ahead and start a compost pile, so you have access to some good future soil. But to make things easy, you might want to heavily, heavily, heavily mulch wherever it is you want your garden to be.....the easiest garden I ever had was completely covered with woodchips/leaves. Couldn't even see soil. And until I had enough improved soil, I'd spot plant (thats what I call it)....I'd decide where I wanted to plant, move the mulch, dig a little hole and put in a scoop of compost along with the seed or plant I wanted and remulch as needed. After enough years of consistantly doing this, I was able to find good soil in the garden.
Most of my compost consist of chicken droppings and coffee grounds.....But eventually the mulch decomposes too, right in the garden and needs to be replaced.

 

[Mattemma]

I layer onto my clay and fill dirt land.Leaves,chicken bedding,topsoil. In areas I did not need to use right away I planted alfalfa. I read the roots go deep and help break up the soil.Pretty too.

 

[me&thegals]

Add in tons of organic matter--leaves, grass clippings, straw.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I had 2 huge piles of wood chips from the power companies, a bunch of cardboard boxes and some paper feed bags, so I did a lazagna gardening project today. Started with chips, then topped it with the opened bags, then a layer of chicken poop, then more chips. Tomorrow I plan on putting the cardboard and poop, then chips again. Then I hope my lazagna is ready to cook.