I found claylike soil in my yard. What is it good for?

[Jparisi48]

Hi everyone,

My name is Joe and my girlfriend and I are new to gardening. I live in northern Massachusetts right on the NH border. I hope to start eating healthier and enjoy a new hobby of growing some of my own foods! Well now that my Intro is over I have a question.

So I found this claylike dark rich looking soil a short walk into the woods. I was wondering what could I use it for? It's under a very small stream with lots of compost like dead leaves and twigs in it. No rocks, very soft and smooth but heavy and soaked with water. Feels like clay/dirt mixed. Here is a pic. Did I hit the jackpot or nothing special? Either way, are there any good uses for it?

 

[Chuck]

Hi everyone,

My name is Joe and my girlfriend and I are new to gardening. I live in northern Massachusetts right on the NH border. I hope to start eating healthier and enjoy a new hobby of growing some of my own foods! Well now that my Intro is over I have a question.

So I found this claylike dark rich looking soil a short walk into the woods. I was wondering what could I use it for? It's under a very small stream with lots of compost like dead leaves and twigs in it. No rocks, very soft and smooth but heavy and soaked with water. Feels like clay/dirt mixed. Here is a pic. Did I hit the jackpot or nothing special? Either way, are there any good uses for it?

Dry some of it out. From the pics it looks like swamp mud and when incorporated into a garden it is usually a great addition

 

[Jparisi48]

I will do that. I'll grab a 5 gallon bucket full of it and make the hike. Can this be used as a substitute to traditional compost? It has a lot of old dead, decaying matter in it.

 

[Chuck]

I will do that. I'll grab a 5 gallon bucket full of it and make the hike. Can this be used as a substitute to traditional compost? It has a lot of old dead, decaying matter in it.

No, not really a substitute but close. Lets see what it is before making assumptions. What you can do to help determine what it really is is to fill a glass jar that has a lid half full of the stuff and finish filling with water and shake it until it goes into solution and then let it settle for an hour or two.

 

[Jparisi48]

Thanks for the info I'll keep the thread updated with results

 

[headfullofbees]

As Chuck says, this is unlikely to be clay, which is smooth, heavy, cold, and usually orange or blue. (I know, my garden has at least five feet of clay, which was, until I built up the soil structure, under 2-3 inches of soil.

I would say you have struck gold here, as, although not compost, what you are holding in your hands looks like top quality soil conditioner. The dark colour is, to us gardeners, hugely promising, and the structure looks like it would build and aerate a wonderful soil, whatever you start with.

When worms get to work on that, it'll be nutrient rich too.

Although, as said, not compost, I would bet my back teeth that it would make excellent compost.

Just remember that it is likely to be a natural habitat for many creatures when you do remove it, and do so thoughtfully.

 

[Jparisi48]

Understood. Not looking to ruin any wildlife habitat so I'll be cautious. There is a LOT of it. Runs about a mile down a 3ft wide stream not deep enough for fish or anything but I'm sure there are frogs and salamanders and all kinds of small things around there.

So how should I go about adding it once I am sure it is good stuff? Mix it with Loam or use at the bottom, the top, the middle? I'm going to do what chuck said first just to see what's in it and what it's like dry. But I am very excited that it seems promising!

 

[headfullofbees]

Dig a three inch layer into the top three inches of your soil.

I think that what you have is organic matter which is being carried downstream, and will replenish itself, if you act wisely.

You'll get a good idea of what it is by looking upstream; what's the upstream topography?

 

[Jparisi48]

It's all forest. It has to be just runoff from the small mountain we have. There is no body of water that can feed it. Just runs right through the woods about 3ft wide and very long. in the summer it's not always running water and just stays damp

 

[headfullofbees]

Black gold.

 

[PeaceLillyy]

What happened once you dried it out?

 

[Chuck]

Black gold.

It probably is. But I want to see how much silt there is in it

 

[Jparisi48]

I have a sample on the sill separating with the water and another drying out. I'll post pictures of the separation soon

 

[Jparisi48]

Here is the picture of it settled. It's hard to see but it's roughly 3/4 of the way up the top 1/4 is like really dirty water

 

[Jparisi48]

There is a clear soil line where the soil stops and the water starts, just hard to get a picture of it.