How do YOU handle clay soil?

[SmokinErb22]

Went out today and checked a couple of areas I'm planning on doing a guerilla grow, not entirely surprised to find out the soil-type in the area is generally a clay or a loamy-clay.

These areas aren't all the easiest to access so I'm looking for something that isn't a logistical nightmare. Nutrients, I'll use some type of Espoma or something, I'm simply referring to what (as an indoor grower) I'd call my base mix.

Native clay/loam+ Coco + perlite + compost.

That's where I'm at right now, mentally. I figure coco dries out fairly quickly, is compact in bricks and thus easy to transport and hydrate in a trash bag on location. Perlite will help avoid compaction of the clay, also light weight and easy to transport.

Holes will be roughly 2x2x1.5D. 6 cu ft, approx 45 gallons.

20 gallons of native soil
10 gallons coco ( half of an 11 lb bale)
5 gallons of perlite.
10 gallons of compost.

Not really sure exactly how much 10 gallons of compost is weight wise, but I figure I can bag it up myself in contractor trash bags+ duct tape and pack it out there one hole at a time.

Feedback from more experienced outdoor growers greatly appreciated. How're my "base mix" ratios looking for a clay soil?

Went digging a few small holes around my planned areas to get an idea of what type of amendments I was going to need. These are 3 separate locations (of the 10 I have) entirely.

 

[vostok]

Avoid clay is the best way but if you must plant on a hill so excess water runs down hill underground to if lucky ...nothing get root rot quicker than roots stuck in a clay water proof sodden hole for months on end

far better to dig an accommodation then insert 5 us gallon pot?, as you may then extract to drain off ...? or even flee with your babes if discovered

 

[SmokinErb22]

So root rot is the major issue with clay? I figured, to an extent clay wouldn't be so bad with the late season droughts we get every year. Anyway I'm only talking about using a portion of the clay and amending 45-gallon size holes to make the soil what I need it to be.

Could always use a full bale of coco per hole so the ratios would be more like

20 gallons coco
10 gallons compost
10 gallons native soil
5 gallons perlite

Obviously, I'd rather use more native soil and less coco if I can get away with it for both $$$ savings and logistics/labor.

Clay is the predominate type soil here. Don't get me wrong this isn't the hard-pack red clay they get in the south/east. I'm in the middle of farm land, corn and soybeans all around.

 

[barnyard]

I increase the drainage of the soil. Is coco going to increase your drainage? vostok's raised bed is a good suggestion. Sand is a cheap way to increase drainage but you'll need a lot.

pretty much most plants prefer well drained soil

 

[vostok]

Mixing in a bag of cement(dry) or used plaster is good ..amending it to the clay but really
clay is best used by local natives to build houses, its not impossible but really is a lot of hard work, in most situation *mine. when it rains the clay swells crushing roots in the droughts its the opposite, dries out and takes precious roots with it, go your way as an experiment should you wish just have a back up ready ...good luck

 

[Easy7]

We deal with clay about 8" - 10" down. Gypsum is great for breaking clay up, although it can take a year or more to work in. Even after mixed it works but takes time to be looser. Avoid using the clay in your soil mix. When digging the hole fill with loose peat, compost or whatever....and dig up the bottom mixing gypsum in there so it drains.

 

[vostok]

Yeah!! thanks Easy ...Gypsum is the word I had ..cement or plaster but that Gypsum is what I am meaning

 

[Easy7]

You could also put in a drain if your on a slope. Depends on how much work you want to put in it. Dig the hole and put in pipe sticking horizontal running strait out thru a ditch out of the slope and bury the drain. I am usually to lazy and the plants never suffered from clay, but the gypsum worked in real good. I was using coco since it was deemed easier to hump in bricks of coco than peat. Also local humus was used which is great. Also I suggest testing the soil for npk. I found a huge abundance of potash, might have been the nearby autumn olive which is supposed to fix nitrogen, idk. Potash helps roots and clay has a lot of micro's. But I always go over with micro's, rare to get lock out with these. I wish I was like brown dirt warrior but I spread plants out more than he did in his vids. Love working the soil but it takes some motivation.

 

[SmokinErb22]

I'm actually now beginning to wonder if my assessment of "clay" is correct. I find a government soil survey that has tested the soils in the area I'm planning on growing.

I think on the bright side, I'm looking in the right general area today (North east corner on the map)... just didn't quite go far enough to get to the good prime farmland type soil.

On the other hand, the area where I wanted to put my largest plot in is the "Fairpoint shaly silty clay loam, 33 to 90 percent slopes" which has the following description:

FcG—Fairpoint shaly silty clay loam, 33 to 90 percent slopes

Map Unit Setting

National map unit symbol: 5c2j
Elevation: 350 to 1,000 feet
Mean annual precipitation: 40 to 46 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 52 to 56 degrees F
Frost-free period: 170 to 200 days
Farmland classification: Not prime farmland
Map Unit Composition

Fairpoint and similar soils: 80 percent
Minor components: 10 percent
Estimates are based on observations, descriptions, and transects of the mapunit.
Description of Fairpoint

Setting

Landform position (two-dimensional): Backslope
Landform position (three-dimensional): Side slope
Down-slope shape: Convex
Across-slope shape: Linear
Parent material: Coal extraction mine spoil
Typical profile

H1 - 0 to 8 inches: shaly silty clay loam
H2 - 8 to 60 inches: very shaly silty clay loam
Properties and qualities

Slope: 33 to 90 percent
Depth to restrictive feature: More than 80 inches
Natural drainage class: Well drained
Runoff class: Low
Capacity of the most limiting layer to transmit water (Ksat): Moderately high (0.20 to 0.60 in/hr)
Depth to water table: More than 80 inches
Frequency of flooding: None
Frequency of ponding: None
Available water storage in profile: Low (about 4.5 inches)
Interpretive groups

Land capability classification (irrigated): None specified
Land capability classification (nonirrigated): 7e
Hydrologic Soil Group: C
Other vegetative classification: Trees/Timber (Woody Vegetation)
Minor Components

Poorly drained aquents

Percent of map unit: 5 percent
Landform: Depressions
Other vegetative classification: Trees/Timber (Woody Vegetation)
Water

Percent of map unit: 5 percent



According to this, almost 70% of the land is hilly, well-draining soil.

I'm wondering if my thinking its clay soil is due to the fact that its all soaking wet right now, and some areas aren't even thawed 2-3" deep. So when I squeeze it it forms a ball... assumed immediately I was dealing with clay.

 

[barnyard]

luvin' those soil names SE22...gardening is all about micro-climates...got a mason jar?

http://utah.agclassroom.org/files/uploads/fieldguide1/texture.pdf

 

[SmokinErb22]

Dude, that is awesome! I can just go out and collect various samples in zip-loc baggies and bring it home to test 'em.

I wish it was logistically reasonable to just cart out all used indoor soil out there and dig holes and fill 'em. But after reading more on the different soil types (which I knew nothing about before then) I'm starting to realize that, assuming the chart is correct (2014 update ) and I'm pretty sure it is.... I think I may have mistaken really wet silt/loam for clay just because it compressed and kept its shape when squeezed.

Really hope so, because that's going to make this season much easier and hopefully that just means I can get that many more plants out. Isn't silty-loam pretty much ideal for cannabis?

 

[jay-toker]

.

 

[vostok]

a book on trenches of world war 1 ...may give some insight to trench draining ....good luck with this deep subject ...!

 

[Easy7]

Farming uses draining systems called tiling. Tile drainage gets search results. I never tried it. Native plants around also help soak up and if you get a lot of sun mj does a good job if roots can breathe.

 

[Limeygreen]

The idea of using heavy duty trash bags say 50 gallons, then filling with your soil mix will work but then you need to make sure you can water them on a time frame so they don't die, the restricted roots help force flower going into autumn but water will be the biggest restriction.

 

[SmokinErb22]

I couldn't possibly haul huge bags of stuff to fill 100% of my holes. I should really take a video of my hike out there once I leave the trail. I think its pretty impressive and nobody in there right mind is gonna do that. My whole body is sore just from hiking out there 3 times this past week.

I'm definitely leaning towards coco/rice hulls as the bulk filler. 50 lbs of rice hulls expands to 7cu ft. A case of mixed (75% coir, 25% chips) coco bricks (24 to a case) also expands to about 7 cu ft. That's 100 gallons of fill medium that weighs around 75 lbs.

If filled 50/50, that makes 200 gallons of soil, or about 6 holes 2x2x1 (30 gallons).

Total cost would be under $100 per plot of 6 plants.

 

[stoned-trout]

gypsum and anything to break up the compaction..yeehaw

 

[SmokinErb22]

Yeah, I got a 50 lb bag of gypsum in the garage as well, forgot about that. Stuff is really cheap too. Just heavy if I need a lot of it. I'll look into the recommended application rates per cu ft and weigh on on it.

Once I get my soils mixed and in place, I'll be hauling meals/minerals in to mix in with the soil. Unless I opt to take the osmocote route, which I'm skeptical I will. Really like the result of my organic soils.

 

[Mountain Sprout]

nothing better to bust up clay and rocky soil than a "broadfork".
http://www.groworganic.com/biofork-5-tine.html

 

[oneofus]

@sprout,

Awesome looking ground-breaker tool there.

How is that tool on your back after a few hours?