Many garden articles mention heavy soil. But what is that anyway? And how can it be improved and loosened up?
We often complain about heavy soil. But why actually? In order to clarify this, we first need to know exactly what heavy soil actually is. That reminds me of a little story from a visit to a hardware store. A customer and a younger employee were talking about various plants in the plant department, which I didn't miss because of the volume. The employee then said that the plant that the lady had chosen is not suitable for heavy soil. The customer asked somewhat irritated what a heavy floor actually is. The employee looked like she hadn't expected the question and stuttered a bit. "Well, such a hard floor," was the short and concise answer. Very informative I thought. By the way, the customer then left the shop without a plant.
So here's a little more detail:
What is a heavy soil?
Heavy soil contains a lot of clay, which is why it is often called clay soil. The more the soil contains these fine mineral soil particles, the more the soil sticks together. Conversely, this means that the soil is difficult to cultivate - hence the heavy soil.
The major disadvantages of clay floors are obvious. Due to the solid component, the floor is hardly permeable to water. When it starts to rain, the water doesn't seep into the ground, but small puddles form. The soil can only poorly absorb moisture, so that especially in spring and autumn, when the rain is usually in season, waterlogging has to be expected - death for many plants. On the other hand, clay soil also stores the moisture once it has absorbed it.
Clay soils take longer to warm up after a winter. Plants can only be planted in the soil much later than with normal soil.
clay soil
In addition to clay soils, loamy soils are also referred to as heavy soils. They contain not only clay, but also sand particles and humus. This makes the soil more permeable to air and it can absorb water and nutrients betterhold as a clay floor.
Determine heavy soils
No one can choose the soil in their garden. He's just there. But you can do something to improve the soil. It is best if you do a soil analysis. This allows you to determine whether your soil really contains loam and clay. You will probably get the most reliable test result from a specialist. But you can also do it yourself. For this you need a quick test, such as the ph soil test from Neudorff. Here you can get four test tubes and the necessary tools for the determination for less than 10 euros. The amount is enough for about 8 tests. These video instructions show you how to carry out the test.
In the quick test you determine the pH value of your soil. These values represent the different soil types.
| Soil Type | pH value |
|---|---|
| Sandy soil | 5.3 - 5.7 |
| Loamy sand | 5.8 - 6.2 |
| Sandy Loam | 6.3 - 6.7 |
| Loess soil | 6.9 - 7.5 |
| Clay clay, clay | 6.9 and above |
| Moor soil | 3.8 - 4.3 |
Improve Heavy Ground
Now if your floor is really "heavy" then you can go ahead and improve it. The goal is for you to loosen the soil. As a result, it is better aerated and can absorb and retain water and nutrients better. This is how you have to do it:
1 First of all, the ground has to be dug deep. The best time for this is autumn - just before the first frost. The water can freeze at sub-zero temperatures and thus burst the solid pieces of earth. You should do this step every year.
2 Before you sow your seed in spring, you have to break up the solid chunks again. Then bring mature compost into the soil. The addition increases the air content in the soil and allows the rainwater to drain away much better.
The addition of sand can also improve the soil in the long term by loosening impermeable layers of clay.
» Extra tip: After you have tilled your soil, you can also apply compost as a top layer. The dark color causes the soil to heat up faster.
Alternative for serious cases
The loosening is just not enough because everything is compacted deep down in the ground? Then in your case only a drainagehelp. The water collects in the drainage system and can run off into a specific and predetermined area due to the gradient. You should consult a landscape gardener for the introduction. He can tell you exactly how deep the pipes need to be and what slope you need to think about.
Suitable plants for heavy soil
Before getting angry every year because the plants stay small and puny, it's better to zero in on plants that grow on this soil. Examples include the following:
| Trees and shrubs for clay and loamy soils | Perennials for clay and loamy soils |
|---|---|
| Chestnut | Aster |
| Hazelnut tree | Sun Bride |
| Hawthorn | Foxglove |
| Holly | Columbine |
| Bird Cherry | Peony |
| Yew | Larkspur |
| Forsythia | Schafgabe |
| Elderberry | Woodruff |
| Cherry Laurel | Bellflower |
| Lilac | Bergenie |
| Ranunculus | Wood Anemone |
| Ornamental quince | Monkshood |
| Fingerbush | Hepatica |
| Trumpet Tree | Deadnettle |
| Magnolia | Oxeye |