What ammendment will aerate clay soil?

My soil (ALWAYS) is so unbelievably hard and compact that my plants can't breathe. AND/OR they are too wet. AND/OR (usually) they are dying of thirst
What ammendement will let clay soil drain and not harden off on top of the soil?

I have (hand) ammended my clay soil in various areas with horse manure, leaves, fireplace ash, veggies, fruits, paper, hay, bark, mulch, tea, etc, etc. I am still having a problem with my soil hardening to almost concrete status in much of the areas and in the other areas where it is not harden through it still hardens off on the top which causes water NOT to soak in.
My second problem is hard to explain. Down deeper IF (big word) I can dig down deep enough (we're not talking 1 1/2 to 2 ft) the ground is still wet/damp and still so compact that it is extremely hard to dig.

We bought an aerator for the ground, but it is too hard to penetrate and if it rains the consistency of the soil is like a mud pie. There are not various size particles to allow any variability.

Hope this makes sense to somebody.
Thanks for any help.

Have you added gypsum?

I have added some gypsum and lava sand.

I have soil like that although mine is old marshland. I have used gypsum and it did seem to help - but only a little. I tried adding all the compost I could get my hands on but in our heat it literally disappeared in a short time. At this point I have learned to build on top of the soil and let the worms help out. I use lasagna beds made with anything I have and build up at least 9" or more. Plants go right into the "lasagna" and I don't even try to dig them into the clay. The beds pack down and I have to constantly add more material but after a few years now I am finally starting to see some real soil.

I have not tried this but i have heard it helps to maintain a slight but constant soil moisture level with heavy clay. Friends keep drip hoses snaked around their beds and their soil is much easier to work. It is never wet but just damp enough to work well. Good luck.

This is how I did it, it is a lot of work, but very much worth it. Keeping the soil mulched will prevent it form crusting on the surface.
Check out my article; http://davesgarden.com/articles/view/26/
Josephine.

The more research I do, the answer is always the same: organic matter. Probably any organic matter will help some, over time. Problem is, building soil is not a one-time treatment, but rater an on-going process, and each year, you will likely see improvement. I doubt the the process ever ends, we just have to keep adding organic matter.

Karen

You are absolutely right Karen.
Josephine.

I have been working on and adding ammendments for 20 years now (spread over a large area - we have 5+acres). Some areas have been ammended and worked on a continual daily and weekly endeavor (including winter). I would just really love to come across something that would work wonders so I didn't have to make soil a DAILY ritual.

Josephine I can't wait to read your journal. Thanks for the link.

Oh, regarding the use of soaker hoses: Yesterday I turned one on low and within 30 minutes it was seeping out of the bed. In other words it was NOT soaking DOWN in the bed.

Sometimes if the soil is really, really nasty, there are not enough organic amendments in the world that are going to turn concrete hard clay into lush soil. I would probably focus on constructing raised beds as much as possible for edibles and for landscaping I would concentrate on growing native plants that grow naturally in that area.

One of my difficulities lies with the many trees we have on the property and the possibility of raising the soil on top of the roots.
I would love to grow natives (or anything for that matter), but even the natives I must be able to dig a hole and have the ground workable to plant them initially. Usually once a hole is dug in this soil the first rain washes all loose ground away and the roots are left uncovered.

I have ordered 2 books about 'Permaculture' and 'How to make a Forest Garden'. I'm hoping that these can help me along.

Have you tried starting any natives from seed, broadcast on top of the ground, rather than diggin' them in?

Long ago, when I lived in Seattle and bought a 'new house' with a Clay garden...I got bags of sawdust from the Lumber yard and rototilled (read mostly dug) it in with Amonium (spelling?) Nitrate to break it down fast. I let everything sit the first year and dug in garbage and leaves and stuff. It worked well!!!! Took a while, but it was worth it. OH, when I could afford it I bought washed sand and dug it in...Perlite...anything I could get my hands on. Collected ashes from all the neighbours' woodstoves and fireplaces....It was a small lot...but I did have a gorgeous garden.

In the front I put in retainer walls with RR Ties and put in alot of fill...sludge from the Water Treatment Plant and Zoo Doo. Anything I could get CHEAP!!

I'm thinking about putting a 'want' ad in the freecycle for other people's ashes, shredded paper, rotten veggies/fruits, and coffee grounds. Do ya think they will think I'm crazy???
Hmmm wonder where I can locate sawdust?
I've always wondered about using Perlite outside in the ground and if it would work.?.

What is Zoo Doo?

Tree roots, Aggghhhhhh! I deal with that too and those roots just love any good soil I am able to build. They will send those surface roots right into anything friable.

cajan,

Are you saying yo have added a LOT of organics? A whole lot? If so, maybe it's time for sand. My new rule of thumb is: If I can carry it (or move it) in one day, it's not enough. (My old rule of thumb was: to use enough that a heart attack (while moving it) was imminent, but as I got older, it wasn't quite as funny as it was when I was in my 20s.) LOL! Sand, my boy! Lots and lots and lots of sand.

Suzy

Have you tried using a cover crop that penetrates the soil and breaks it up?

I'm pretty sure I have not added TOO MUCH organic. (That would take everybodies refuse in many cities. lol)
I dig and mix everyday and try to get in at least 2 hours daily. See, my problem lies in that my husband thinks I am crazy to be adding all this stuff, hence he thinks I'm wasting my time. Due to this I am unable to dedicate too many hours at a time on the project. If he is home my time available decreases considerably.

Cover crops I discovered back at the beginning of winter, but wasn't sure much about. I purchased some black-eyed peas to plant, but was unsure of any proper way to plant them or time. We've had spurts of freezing weather so I was even more unsure whether to go ahead and put any seeds out. Now, I don't know if it would do any good.

I have one long bed down the side of the horse fence about 3.5ft wide x maybe 60ft that I have worked slowly again and again over a number of years. I was blessed with volunteer watermelon plants in one small area that grew okay last summer and also a bit larger area of cantalope that produced fairly well. Those areas seem to be better ('course I made sure to add plenty of compost and such around the plants to hold in moisture) so don't know if ANY crop is a good crop or planting specific things are needed. Planted 6 cucumber seeds last summer and only 2 plants came up one never grew or produced after the 2nd week and the other did grow a little bigger and did produce 3 cucumbers, other than that those did not do well at all. Planted some basil seeds and 2 tiny plants came up, but one died almost immediately and the other got about 4"tall then died. Even the areas that I have ammended a lot seem to crust over the tops so the seeds get dry and can not penetrate the ground. Once the crust is broken the ground below seems MUCH better than my regular ground.

If you have trouble with the ground crusting on your seeds, put a very thin layer of fine mulch on them, like sifted compost or grass clippings. Any seed that is not tiny will come through that just fine.
Also remember to keep them moist until they sprout.
For a cover crop you can use any plants of the legume family, such as alfalfa, clover, or black eyed peas would also be good, but remember you have to turn them under while they are lush and green to do the most good.
All in all, I think you are doing a good job, and don't forget the horse manure, that is valuable asset you have there.
Josephine.

Everybody would tell me to mulch for the crusting ground, but I couldn't figure out how the seeds would grow.
Thanks for that information and help!
I'm dmailing you.