RICHGRO - Benefits of clay in the soil

Article by Richgro

Clay, because of its density, retains moisture well. It also tends to be more nutrient-rich than other soil types. The reason for this is that the particles that make up clay soil are negatively charged, which means they attract and hold positively charged particles, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Perth soils are often depleted of any clay and only consist of sand, therefore adding 1-5% of clay to soil mixes has numerous benefits:

• Proven that water content of clay-amended soils were double that of unamended soils in low irrigation areas; • The clay can disperse with wetting and reacts with other soil components; • The clay has high cation exchange capacity which helps the positive and negative ions in the soil to work together; • A small percentage of 1-5% can make a huge difference to the soil profile.

With the threat of reduced water allocation rates and increased costs of water used to irrigate council parks, gardens, lawns, golf courses and so on, this is becoming quite an issue for all the parks managers and superintendents of sporting grounds.

Bentonite Clay, a high-grade calcium bentonite clay mined from an area 250kms north of Perth, can be added to landscape and turf products. Just a small percentage mixed in or added can make the soil so much more beneficial to the end user.

Tips On Soil Improvement:

Clay Amendments When planting in sandy soil, it is essential to incorporate a clay amendment such as Bentonite. Clay based amendments make the soil more friable and help to hold on to both moisture and fertiliser, thereby saving you money and preventing our precious rivers from excess nitrogen pollution which may cause issues in the waterways.

Soil Amendments It goes without saying that Perth’s nutrient depleted soils need soil conditioning. Usually a ratio of between 30 and 50% soil conditioner to 70-50% soil is recommended; the amount varying depending on the quality of the soil. Soil improver comes in bags or bulk quantities. Manure is also often added to the planting hole.

Always thoroughly mix soil conditioner and clay amendments with the existing soil, using water to achieve a chocolaty loam texture. Never plant straight into a hole with unmixed soil conditioner or compost as your plant roots may burn and are unlikely to survive long.

Bentonite Clay Products:

Richgro Natural Bentonite Sand to Soil An all-natural blend of minerals that helps improve the overall structure of the soil and turns sandy soil into rich soil. It contains Bentonite Clay, a naturally occurring mineral, which gives sandy soil a cohesive structure with good drainage but also the capacity to hold water and nutrients and release these minerals back to plant roots.

Richgro EZI-WET ®

Professional Grade Granulated Soil Wetter A commercial granular wetting agent that has 50% granulated

Bentonite. This provides much more than just holding water and nutrients longer in the soil profile; it is a huge benefit in the long term and the clay will be there forever.

Richgro also make many special mixes for clients for use in landscaping, rooftop gardens, turf topdressing, suppressing of nematodes, horticulture and general garden use.

Some examples of use: City of Bayswater – have a turf mix with added Bentonite clay to help the turf and assists in the recovery from sting nematode damage.

Deep Green Landscaping – use Bentonite clay in their rooftop and garden mixes to give the soil the best chance of holding onto water and nutrients, especially new plantings.

Environmental Industries – adding a small percentage of Bentonite clay to their landscape mixes has proven a winner for them in newly planted areas with fewer plant losses.