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Clay soil is made up of tiny particles that hold water well, but drain poorly. It's sticky when wet, and very hard when dry.
Clay soils often have an alkaline pH, above 7 (though, this can vary per region). Many fruit trees require a pH between 6 and 7. Certain nutrients like iron, manganese and phosporous can become unavailable in high pH clay soil, even if they are present. This is what is referred to as "nutrient lock-up". This can cause stunted growth, pale leaves, yellowing, poor fruiting, and more. And even if you fertilise your soil, the nutrients might still be unavailable to your trees.
The main challenges when growing in clay
-Poor drainage -> Root rot
-Compaction -> Roots can have difficutly penetrating
-Hard to dig
-Nutrient and pH lock-up
What can you do
-Take a pH test
-Add organic matter -> Compost, aged manure, mulch - This can buffer pH and improve nutrient availability
-Add sulphur -> can help break down clay
-Give trees a foliar spray -> Can help introduce nutrients through the foliage, boost immunity, increase resistance to pests, and provide temporary relief
-Siting -> Placing them on higher areas can help with water runoff, keeping them dryer than potentially boggy areas in lower sections
-Drainage -> Building drainage (through pipes, gravel drains, etc) can significantly decrease the chance of the ground staying wet too long
-Raised beds -> By controlling the soil inside the raised bed/area, you can significantly increase drainage
-Hilling up -> Similar to raised beds, by raising the ground with a good soil type, you can increase the drainage
-Mulch -> Prevents weeds, and breaks down into organic matter which improves the soil
-Pick species that work for your pH and soil
For more tips and/or a better explanation, watch the video
Handy tip! Want to talk to Mark directly? Did you know that there is another way, outside the forum?
Support Mark on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/selfsufficientme (the top tier enables mentoring from Mark via an exclusive VIP email where he will answer your questions etc ASAP).
Clay soils often have an alkaline pH, above 7 (though, this can vary per region). Many fruit trees require a pH between 6 and 7. Certain nutrients like iron, manganese and phosporous can become unavailable in high pH clay soil, even if they are present. This is what is referred to as "nutrient lock-up". This can cause stunted growth, pale leaves, yellowing, poor fruiting, and more. And even if you fertilise your soil, the nutrients might still be unavailable to your trees.
The main challenges when growing in clay
-Poor drainage -> Root rot
-Compaction -> Roots can have difficutly penetrating
-Hard to dig
-Nutrient and pH lock-up
What can you do
-Take a pH test
-Add organic matter -> Compost, aged manure, mulch - This can buffer pH and improve nutrient availability
-Add sulphur -> can help break down clay
-Give trees a foliar spray -> Can help introduce nutrients through the foliage, boost immunity, increase resistance to pests, and provide temporary relief
-Siting -> Placing them on higher areas can help with water runoff, keeping them dryer than potentially boggy areas in lower sections
-Drainage -> Building drainage (through pipes, gravel drains, etc) can significantly decrease the chance of the ground staying wet too long
-Raised beds -> By controlling the soil inside the raised bed/area, you can significantly increase drainage
-Hilling up -> Similar to raised beds, by raising the ground with a good soil type, you can increase the drainage
-Mulch -> Prevents weeds, and breaks down into organic matter which improves the soil
-Pick species that work for your pH and soil
For more tips and/or a better explanation, watch the video
Handy tip! Want to talk to Mark directly? Did you know that there is another way, outside the forum?
Support Mark on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/selfsufficientme (the top tier enables mentoring from Mark via an exclusive VIP email where he will answer your questions etc ASAP).
