Clay soil is good for you

The clay-lined ravine that bisects the property supports tall silver maples.

It's spring and I've been lurking on social media, eavesdropping where there are questions about gardening. I do this to get writing ideas, and for the little jolt of schadenfreude I experience at other people's landscape failures. If they would just read my blog, I think to myself, they'd know exactly how to deal with the situation.

A common complaint from aspiring gardeners is clay soil, a huge stumbling block on the path to garden success. Or so it is often viewed. I feel lucky to live on the rich clay deposits of the Appalachian foothills and to experience the incredibly lush and diverse fields, forests, and woodlands that cover the area. If clay is so bad, how can this amazing profusion of healthy vegetation be explained?

Here's a quick video of the nearly pure clay field that fronts our property which has transformed from barren agricultural land to nature preserve in less than 20 years.

Lying in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, the land is too far south to have been shaped by recent glaciers. Over eons, the Ohio River has been the major influencer, migrating here and there in its floodplain, depositing particles from clay to sand, depending on the speed of its flow. The sand deposits are rare enough to inspire place names — Sandhill and Boulevard Sands. The clay, being the norm, has given rise to no particular monikers for streets or neighborhoods.

After a rain, clay makes the river run red.

Behind the house, our tributary of the Ohio River makes a 90° turn. The land lies in the crook of the river's elbow, much of it flooding annually and benefiting from regular fresh deposits of clay. The lush growth in the bottomland is a testament to the benefits of clay and the nutrients locked within.

Approaching the house…

The native trees, shrubs, and forbs easily harvest the gifts clay has to offer, as long as adequate moisture is available. No one fertilizes or irrigates the woods except Mother Nature. Creating a garden on clay might seem challenging at first, but the addition of organic matter in the form of compost and mulch is the key to unlocking its potential. The water-holding capacity of clay can work in your favor: After plants are established I water the garden only during drought.

You can learn more about my love affair with clay in this post from last year:

Novice Gardening: Dealing with clay soil