Amending "Bad" Soil

The consensus of gardeners around the country is that clay is horrible for gardening.

Of course, I'm using a relatively small sample size--my mother, grandmother and traditional gardening friends all bemoan how difficult clay is to work with. I've seen articles in Southern Living giving suggestions on how to "amend" clay soils. Closer to home, Martinson's Garden Works has a regular newsletter which once outlined how to fix clay soil that you can actually grow plants in it.

My question has always been, "what in the humid Mississippi blazes did plants do before humans came along to amend the soil?"

The trait that separates humans from other animals is the ability to type queries into a search engine, so I figured that'd be a fantastic place to start. Turns out, soil amendment is just a neo-Darwinian capitalist money making scheme by Big Ag., The Koch Brothers, and the Lizard People. (But I repeat myself.)

But, really, here's the issue.

According to Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott in her online class delivered at "The Great Courses," most of the soil that is sold from stores isn't really soil. It's soil mixed with organic material, often in 1:2 or even 1:5 ratios. Organic material will rapidly decompose. If you happen to buy a 1:3 ratioed bag of soil, in five years you'll be left with, essentially, nothing but the one third that was soil. Which means, if you want that "good" soil, you'll have to go buy more.

Unlike clay, which has a microscopic matrix that holds nutrients and moisture, the "good soil" has difficulty holding moisture without mulching, which presents an additional cost. Gardening can become unaffordable quickly if you try to get your soil to match some hypothetical ideal.

Landscape expert Benjamin Vogt shares my critique of soil amendment. (Otherwise, I wouldn't be talking about him, would I?) Speaking about soil amendment in the context of clay soils, he says,

"Changing the site to fit what you want to grow is like trying to change your spouse to be the perfect mate... in the end, you'll have wasted a lot of time and energy while you'll eventually give up on the relationship altogether....

"Love your clay. Plant for it, not against it. Use nature to your advantage. Learn to be one with the force."

Image Credit: Greenman-23, via Wikimedia Commons. (Photo cropped.)

Clay is nothing other than a type of soil that has flat particles (as opposed to large round particles like sand and small round particles like silt). (See image to the right.)

This comes with benefits and drawbacks. It holds moisture and nutrients better, but that gives it poor aeration and drainage. Because most exotic plants are sissies and can't tolerate life without a silver spoon, they don't perform well.

I'll concede, "garden soil" is fantastic for growing vegetables or exotic annuals--your pansies ain't gonna grow in a block of clay. But there are so many excellent options that will reduce the time and money you spend on plants. Or, if you're like me, it can free up time and money for new garden projects.

Most Mississippi soils contain clay, so unless you want to dig up your entire yard and wheel in "better" dirt, it would be smarter to just choose plants that thrive there. Here is a very abridged list.

Sunflowers (Helianthus sp.)

Beebalm (Monarda didyma, fistulosa)

Baptisia sp.

Coreopsis sp. (the MS State flower)

Mountain mints (Pyncanthemum sp.)

Milkweeds (Asclepias viridis, rubra, tuberosa (to a lesser extent))

Morning Glory (Ipomoea pandurata)

American Aster (Symphyotrichum sp.)

Silphum sp.

Blue Mistflower (Cococlinium coelestinum)

Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea, )

Coneflowers (Rudbeckia sp., Echinacea sp.)

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

Joe Pie Weed (Eupatorium fitsulosa, maculatum, purpureum)

Hibiscus sp.

Blazingstars (some of the Liatris genus.)

Ferns (shade) (Pteridium aquilinum, Onoclea sensibilis, Osmundia sp.)

Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Sumac (Rhus sp., NOT POISON SUMAC)

Roses (Rosa carolina, Rosa palustris)

Goldenrods (Solidago sp.) (Note: goldenrod does not cause allergies.)

Spiderwort (Tradescentia sp.)

Trilliums (Trillium sp.)

Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata).

Ironweed (Veronia sp.)

There are a lot more, but this is a good start.

You don't even have to plant natives. Just, please, stop giving the Gardening Industrial Complex your money.

NOV

Bibliography and Further Reading:

Chalker-Scott, Linda. "The Science of Gardening." Lecture. TheGreatCourses.com.

"Native Plants for Clay Soil." WelcomeWildlife.com.Accessed 30 June 2020. https://www.welcomewildlife.com/native-plants-for-clay-soil/

Vogt, Benjamin. "Why I Prefer Clay Garden Soil." MonarchGardens.com. Accessed 30 June 2020. https://www.monarchgard.com/thedeepmiddle/why-i-prefer-clay-garden-soil

Vogt, Benjamin. "Work Less, Plant Smarter: Garden Prep Myths." MonarchGardens.com.Accessed 30 June 2020.https://www.monarchgard.com/thedeepmiddle/work-less-plant-smarter-garden-prep-myths.