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Is my soil clay soil for the most part?

6 years ago

Wondering what type of soil I have. I am thinking I have very heavy clay soil? In summer it is super hard to the touch and even develops cracks where it hasn't seen much water.


I have here a Logan Labs result that is about 1 year old but it should still show what it is i think.




Comments (5)

  • 6 years ago

    And what should I do to it in order to improve it? Anything I can apply? Thanks

  • 6 years ago

    Soil lab tests rarely disclose the textural status of the sample.....at least I have never encountered one that did beyond the percentage of organic matter it might contain. But the textural condition of garden soil - the relative percentages of the 3 soil types: silt, sand and clay - is something you can assess with relative accuracy at home. And in the case of soil texture, 'relative accuracy' is more than sufficient :-)

    One of the simplest methods is the mason jar test and then the results compared to the soil triangle to determine the textural category.

    The most widely accepted or tried and true method for improving clay soils is to add organic matter. But how and to what degree depends on what you intend to grow.

  • 6 years ago

    While not technically possible to determine (some clays do have lower ECs), the probable answer and the one I'm going to give you is, "No, it isn't." What is going on is that your calcium:magnesium ratio is completely borked. I'm also giving that sodium a rather jaundiced eye, as it, too, will cause a soil to act like clay when it isn't--and is boosting the pH, which would look far worse than it does if the sodium weren't there and send a better emergency red light than it's currently doing.


    It's just another reason to hate pH tests, which give you practically none of the truth and I wish would die in terrible fires worldwide. :-)


    So I wouldn't blame your soil (which actually, from the EC, looks more like silty sand than clay!) I'd blame the fact that the soil chemistry isn't good at all. Any soil will crack when dry, particularly if deflocculated (falling apart due to bad chemistry). My silt used to do it.


    And no, just adding organic matter isn't going to fix this. It'll suppress the cracks a little as it flexes better, but the underlying structural problems are all still there. Fix the soil chemistry first, simultaneously with adding OM if you want. But fix the soil chemistry, which is seriously not good.


    Did you ever do anything with the number from this test? They show a lot of required changes to improve this for most grasses (centipede being the exception) and gardens (blueberries being one exception).


    With the test being a year old, I wouldn't be comfortable making recommendations on it and would get a new test. It's really not a great idea to make recommendations on a test where anything could have happened and rainfall certainly did, which will change the soil.

  • 6 years ago

    Ok Ill try to get a new test of my soil. Is Logan Labs still a good avenue or anything better?


    Not sure if it's sand or not I think this region is very clayish - Central PA, but again not sure since I am no expert. I haven't done much other than adding Milorganite, some Epsom Salts, and that was it.


    After getting the new test I will post it here. Should I do the test now or wait until next spring?

  • 6 years ago

    Now or spring is fine. Any read I do now will still be valid for spring, it's just that anything that's a year or over is getting a little old.


    "Epsom Salts"---discontinue use of these immediately as they're only making the problem worse, quickly. It's magnesium sulfate, which is exactly the wrong thing to add to your soil.


    Milorganite is fine to use as you wish for your feeding schedule.

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