Knowing the Dirt on Your Clay Soil

Flowers are blooming and wisps of summer are in the air. Like most people you probably have countless tasks to complete before the real heat of summer hits. Things like planting your vegetable garden can become quite the task with sticky wet clay soil. Below are some tips and tricks to help with the struggles that come with having clay soil.

Tips and Tricks

When it comes to soil most people in Northern Utah have clay soil. This soil is often considered hard to work with, has problems with drainage, and gets compacted easy. Clay soil has its cons, but it also has a lot of great properties like making plants stronger and storing lots of water. There are also things you can do to help your clay soil with some of the common problems it faces.

Clay soil is made of many tiny soil particles. This allows the soil to hold in moisture and nutrients better. It also gives the roots of plants more things to hold on too. This helps the plant survive extreme temperatures and conditions. Because the plant has a good grip on the soil it does not come out of the ground easily and the roots can reach greater depths in search for water that is stored in the particles. 

Because clay soil holds moisture it can cause problems when working with it. If the soil is wet when you till or try to dig in it, it is going to cause the soil to become compacted. Not only that but it sticks to everything and can create quite a mess. It also can hold on to more than just water and fertilizer. It can often hold salts that can be harmful to plants.

A few things you can do to help prevent some of the problems is incorporating compost into the soil. This will help the soil release extra water that is not being used. The bad thing is that you need to add compost consistently from year to year and it can take 5-10 years before you see better results. Water your lawn less frequently for a longer. This will allow the soil to dry out a little between watering's. Consider doing a core aeration to reduce compaction and help the lawn drain better. Doing different soil amendment service, like our Soil Enrichment service, can help with the soils structure.

Be Aware Of

1. You should have your water on. With the dry winter we had your lawn could use a good drink. Right now you should water 1-2 times a week for 45 minutes for rotary sprinklers and 20 minutes for pop up sprinklers.

2. Grub season is quickly approaching. With the warmer weather the beetle larvae are quickly become more active. Right now, is a perfect time to put down a grub preventative to stop the damage before it happens. Grub damage appears as browning patches in the lawn that are commonly thought to be watering problems. If the browning areas pull up easy like patches of carpet it is likely that you have a grub problem. Click the link to find out how we can help you fight grub.

Looking for a healthy, green, and weed free lawn?

Contact us today at: 435-753-5296 or mylawn@lawndoctorutah.com

www.lawndoctor.com/cachevalley-ut/

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