Clay Soil: Drainage, Timing and Structure

Heavy clay is fertile but hard to manage: sticky when wet, rock-hard when dry.

What to do

• Work it at the right moisture: not when wet (it smears and compacts), not when bone dry. A handful should crumble, not roll into a ball.
• Improve drainage: raised beds or ridges keep roots out of standing water.
• Add organic matter and gypsum (on sodic clay) to open structure over time.
• Avoid heavy machinery on wet soil.
• Irrigate less often but deeper, because clay releases water slowly.

Crops

Rice, wheat, cotton, sorghum and many vegetables on raised beds perform well on clay when drainage is solved.