How to Fix a Sandy or Clay Soil in Your Garden - FHC Q & A

The two big soil problems people often encounter when starting a garden are the two soil extremes—ground that contains either too much clay or too much sand. Pure clay and sand are dead things, but are typically ingredients in the more fertile soil. However, they’re polar opposites causing opposite problems. When there’s too much clay in your soil, it doesn’t allow water to drain on through — hence the ground stays too moist. When there’s too much sand in your soil, the water doesn’t stay long ENOUGH, draining too quickly, and depriving plants of moisture. So how can you turn your sandy or clay soil into a more fertile soil? The answer is logical when you think about it; you just need more “good stuff” in your soil. To make this easy to understand, Pa Mac defines the different types of soil amendments into three groups of color categories: The brown manures, gold manures, and green manures—on this edition of the Farm Hand’s Companion Q & A Show. If you want to go a little deeper into this subject of soil improvement, you might like Pa Mac’s video on Preparing a New Garden Spot:    • Preparing a New Garden Spot - FHC Far...   Be sure and subscribe to the Farm Hand's Companion channel to see a variety of shows for the small farm or homestead: The Farm Hand's Companion Show, My Favorite Farm Tool, The FHC Q & A Show with Pa Mac, FHC Farm Bulletins, and FHC Extras. Also visit www.farmhandscompanion.com/ to find articles, posts, photographs, and encouragement for today's self-sufficient farm or homestead. (And be sure to check out the General Store for books (like Pa Mac's "Building an Old-fashioned Pole Barn") or DVD's by Pa Mac at www.farmhandscompanion.com/general_store.html)