Clay Soils - How to plant

This is a subject that for those whose great grand parents and grand parents knew how to resolve but this has been lost over time.

The Problem

1) Plant species, some plants enjoy clay, others will die in it. Clay is very rich in nutrients, but saturated for half the year and desiccated and rock hard for the other half. Only a few species enjoy this!

2) Plants are grown in lighter soils or compost. Then when placed into dense clay, the problems start. Moisture is wicked across from the dense clay soil into the lighter soil of the rootball or container compost of the new plant. This fills this area up like a sink, drowning the roots, this can kill the plant.

Roots undertake a gaseous exchange (breathe) and like us, if underwater (and a species that cannot cope with clay/waterlogging) can drown!

The Solution

A) Plant specimens that enjoy clay!

B) Plant raised with the root system 25-30% out of the ground and then bench soil up around the edge of the exposed root system so that the roots or soil containing then do not become desiccated or exposed to UV rays from the sun. This facilitates when the clay soil is saturated, a percentage of the root system that can still breathe.

Please note A) is always better than B) to resolve planting in clay.