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

[Chuck]

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

Give it more time and take an outdoor pic of it. There will probably be 3 seperate and distinct lines. Wait until the water is completely clear before taking a pic

 

[Jparisi48]

It's been at least 16 hours. There are 3 separate sections. About 1/4 on top is slightly dirty water, the rest is 2/3 dirt and 1/3 dirty water. It doesn't seem to be clearing up.

 

[Chuck]

It's been at least 16 hours. There are 3 separate sections. About 1/4 on top is slightly dirty water, the rest is 2/3 dirt and 1/3 dirty water. It doesn't seem to be clearing up.

I cannot make out anything in the pic. I need to be able to see the individual sections. The water on top will clear up. Are you sure that you shook the mud long enough for it to go completely into solution? You should have a layer at the bottom which will show the heavier material, a layer in the middle of lighter organic material and a layer on top of extremely fine particulate material called silt, the stuff that hasn't settled yet. The pics need to betaken in the sunlight. Indoors doesn't woork

 

[Jparisi48]

I'm going to shake it again and let it settle longer, no sunlight here today unfortunately

 

[Chuck]

I'm going to shake it again and let it settle longer, no sunlight here today unfortunately

Something else I want you to do. When the stuff is damp but not dry, can you make a mudball out of it that will not come apart easily. If so that indicates a clay base.

 

[Jparisi48]

So i have 2 separate tests going on. 1 on the window sill with water to see if it separates. This has not separated into any distinct sections. It is the soil on bottom and just dirty water on top it won't settle. The soil is consistent throughout. The other test is drying it outside. So far it's still damp but I CAN make a ball out of it and it doesn't fall apart easily. There are also some metal flakes it seems, maybe mica? Or gold here is a pic of it drying out. Not sunny enough for a pic of the container with water.

 

[Chuck]

So i have 2 separate tests going on. 1 on the window sill with water to see if it separates. This has not separated into any distinct sections. It is the soil on bottom and just dirty water on top it won't settle. The soil is consistent throughout. The other test is drying it outside. So far it's still damp but I CAN make a ball out of it and it doesn't fall apart easily. There are also some metal flakes it seems, maybe mica? Or gold here is a pic of it drying out. Not sunny enough for a pic of the container with water.

This is odd. I will be interested in finding out more. Let it dry and keep settling. You probably have something really good. The shiny stuff I would hazard a guess as to be feldspar. When you got the samples, how deep did you dig down?

 

[Jparisi48]

Less than 6" just under all the leaves and twigs

 

[IcyBC]

Looks like you've hit the jack pot there! Your clay looks soft and rich. My front garden is clay like soil too, and not too many plants or flowers can survive in this area.

 

[Jparisi48]

I'm not going to lie.... You guys are making me very excited... Im new to gardening so I'm sure I'll have many many questions. Thank you everyone for being so helpful. I'll keep the thread up to date with progress once it's dried out and after a few more days of settling.

 

[Jparisi48]

So here is an update. The window sill container has stayed the same. There is about an 1/8in of silt on top and the rest is the same dark soil. The stuff drying outside is taking a while to dry, it's been raining and freezing so I have a picture of it frozen and then dried out.

 

[Chuck]

So here is an update. The window sill container has stayed the same. There is about an 1/8in of silt on top and the rest is the same dark soil. The stuff drying outside is taking a while to dry, it's been raining and freezing so I have a picture of it frozen and then dried out.

From the pic taken in the window and the dried you have what we call in Texas bottom land clay some of the best if not the best agricultural soil there is. If I were you I would lay out where your garden is going to be and start wheelbarrowing the stuff to your garden site. Spread it out 4 or 5 inches deep, let it dry and then till it in

 

[Jparisi48]

This is very exciting.... So I'm going to do a raised bed. 4x8x12" I should use this as the bottom 4-5 inches. Let it dry and then put loam on top and mix it all together with a tiller?

 

[Chuck]

This is very exciting.... So I'm going to do a raised bed. 4x8x12" I should use this as the bottom 4-5 inches. Let it dry and then put loam on top and mix it all together with a tiller?

Exactly

 

[Jparisi48]

Can't thank you lady's and gents enough... One more thing I noticed was that there seems to be life in the soil like small wormlike things but they're white ( you can see the trail they make in the picture on the window sill) and maybe a couple snails? Not very sure if they are snails or not very very small and floating on the surface of the water, seem to be dead