Implications of adding mulch/wood chips to soil?

Hello, I have very heavy clay soil (very sticky) where i live. Last year I did add peat moss and some sand to it but has not seemed to make much difference. I was thinking of adding mulch/ wood chips to the soil to soften it up/ make it less sticky and cloddy. What are the implications of doing so? Does it affect the current year plants (to be planted now) adversely, more or less fertilizer needed, water needs?

Good luck with finding anything to modify that clay. If it is anything like ours here in Mississippi, removing it and replacing it is the only thing that actually works. Ours is either as hard as concrete or like goo (imagine extra-thick molasses). Oh, you could spend decades "amending" it and would make some headway, but not much.

I have had commercial landscape folks dig up and replace many tons of it for my landscape areas and built a raised garden for my vegetables.

Ken

If it's any help, I have tan clay with fine silt on the surface. When I first started gardening, I would mix in wood mulch to help break it up after not making much headway with sand. I have learned over time that when adding wood products that the nitrogen in the soil is depleted during the decomposition process. You might have to add some to balance out the soil nutrients. You might want to check out the Dirt Doctor website since he's right in your area and is familiar with your soils.

Yes, do check out www.dirtdoctor.com. He's also on Facebook. And has a call-in talk radio show on Sunday mornings.

Seems like I've read that you should not add sand to clay soil. And I know that Howard Garrett aka the Dirt Doctor doesn't think very highly of peat moss. But there are other amendments that you can use. Expanded shale, Texas Greensand are just a few. You'll get that info at the website and also if you consult some of the local nurseries that handle the more organic type products.

I mulch (top dress) my plants with native shredded hardwood and/or cedar. Since you've already done stuff to your soil, I don't know if you'll have to do some remedial work on it. Good luck.

In my humble opinion, fighting clay is kind of like fighting garden pests. You might win a few battles but you will always end up losing the war. LOL

Ken

I live in NC. Not sure if our red clay is similiar to your Texas clay. It is heavy, slimy when wet, and can smell too! the odor is less with the red and more with the deeper tan. All in all - it is a royal pain. It is important not to till or work the clay too early after the winter -- wet clay just makes big huge clumps and there is no fix. So even tho the urge is great early in the season...got to refrain from getting started to amend it. When we are ready to amend -- we do use some peat but what really helps is compost. We go to our recycling / county landfill and buy it by the scoop - $20-22-26 - cost fluctuates. A scoop or two fills the bed of my Mazda pickup. It is a lot -and keeps on giving! We spread it out and till it in along with any leaves stiill on the ground. It works well. I also agree about the ease of raised beds. We have done that too but not so much for the clay issue - more because we are in the woods and there are tree roots etc., that make it hard to dig and till as we clear additional land for planting area.