How to Deal with Clay Soil in the State of Colorado

In Colorado, soil that contains large quantities of clay can be a big problem for local agriculture. In most cases, farmers are encouraged to buy gypsum to add to the soil in order to counter the effects of clay. Many believe that gypsum can break up compact clay soils, so you might even see advertisements that support this belief and tell farmers to buy products containing refined gypsum.

 

Unfortunately, there is no real basis for this method, and since most of the soil in the Rocky Mountains area is naturally high in calcium, any of the actual, real benefits that adding gypsum to your soil might bring will be voided.

 

Instead of gypsum, experts encourage Colorado farmers to use organic amendments that include peat, compost and manure. A great Organic winter fertilizer has the ability to loosen tight soil containing large quantities of clay, so that water and air can circulate more easily and the roots of plants can be nourished to a better extent.

 

In most instances, adding a two-inch layer of organic material to the top of the soil and tilling it to a depth of about 6 inches should be enough to produce the desired results. You’ll find that aerating the clay through this method is very effective, and your plants and crops will grow better than you’d even expected.

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