Surely many plants like clay soil. But not all. So it's good to know how to improve clay soils.
In principle, everyone who has clay soil in their garden can count themselves lucky. Clay-rich soil is an effective nutrient and water reservoir, which reduces your watering and fertilizing efforts. However, loamy soils with a high proportion of clay can become so dense that aeration is no longer possible. A lack of oxygen and high humidity then often lead to root rot in the plants. In this case you should improve the floor.
Whether and how much you need to improve your clay soil depends not least on the plants that are to grow in the garden. Most fruit trees, for example, thrive in medium-heavy loam and clay soil. Many other popular garden plants such as laurel, lilac, hostas and firethorn also do well in clay soil. With other ornamental plants such as rhododendrons, thorough soil improvement is absolutely necessary for the benefit of the plants.
By the way:
You can recognize a heavily compacted clay soil by the fact that standing puddles form quickly even with a light rain.
How to loosen clay soil
» Tip 1 - incorporate organic material into the soil:
Compact clay soil can be optimized by mixing plenty of organic material into the top layer of soil. Mature compost and shredded material are ideal for this. You can also work coarse sand into the clay soil. This creates cavities that improve water drainage.
» Tip 2 - Lay drainage:
If the clay soil compaction runs very deep, superficial improvements may not be sufficient. In this case, you can place a drain or have it placed. Suitable drainage pipes are available from garden shops and hardware stores. However, the effort for a large-scale drainage system is very high. You should only go to the trouble after prior consultation with a professional.
» Tip 3 - Digging up clay soil vigorously in autumn:
Another way to improve your clay soil is to dig it up vigorously at the endthe growing season. Water can easily seep into the dug soil. As soon as it freezes in winter, the water molecules expand and separate coherent chunks of clay. In the spring it is then advisable to fill up a layer of humus. On the one hand, this provides important nutrients and, thanks to its dark color, helps to conduct heat into the soil. Loamy soil with a largely closed surface stays cold for a long time in spring and delays plant growth.