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If you're gardening on heavy clay soil, you may start to wonder if the words "clay" and "soil" really belong together. When wet, the sticky stuff clings in masses to your boots, is slippery underfoot, and turns into a hopeless mire after every rain. When it dries out, clay lives up to its name by baking hard as bricks under the summer sun.

Plants find clay as challenging as you do. Clay soil is actually rich in minerals, but the microscopic particles cling to the minerals and are stingy about giving them up to plant roots. Clay soil tends to compact easily, which prevents roots from getting even the small amount of air that they need.

Can you grow anything at all on clay soil besides a few tough-as-nails weeds like thistles? Fortunately you can - but not without doing a little work first.

PREPARATION

Clay soil must be improved before you can successfully grow garden plants. Compost is essential. When the soil has dried out a bit and is workable without turning into clods, spread compost on the soil to a depth of an inch or two in the areas that you want to plant and work it in. A little sand will help, too, but don't rely on sand alone.

For shrubs, trees, and large perennials, you don't have to work up the entire area. Just amend an area about the width that the shrub will reach when it is mature. If you're planting annuals or vegetables, then you'll need to work the entire bed where you intend to plant them.

After the work is done, you'll have soil that is clay loam rather than just clay. It will be more friable and have more air space, at least as far down as your shovel can reach. Organic material also changes the soil chemistry in a way that allows clay particles to release their minerals more easily.

Once you are ready to plant, forget the old advice of throwing gravel in the bottom of the planting hole for drainage. Recent studies have shown this actually makes drainage worse in clay soils, so the roots of the poor plant sit in a basin of wet soil. Just loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole and plant as usual.

PLANT LIST
Once the soil is ready, you can pick out your plants. Choose plants that are adapted to clay soil and you'll be a much happier gardener. Here are some to try:

Trees:
-Apple: Most fruit trees will tolerate clay soil, and apples do particularly well.

-Aspen: Many aspens are native to clay soil and rocky soils.

-Ash: North American species are especially suitable to wet soils.

-Elm: If there is no Dutch Elm Disease in your area and you have the room,

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