What is clay soil?

clay soil is any type of soil that contains a high percentage of clay particles. When discussing dirt, the term "clay" is essentially a catch for a family of minerals that are heavy, sticky and dense. The clay soil may look different in different places, but usually acts in the same way: it tends to drain slowly, quickly solidify and difficult to use for anything other than the most difficult plants. In most cases, there is no single definition with regard to the specific soil composition, although gardeners usually use this term if there is enough clay to be noticeable and problematic.

where it can be found

At first glance, most dirt looks more or less uniform, but things are much more complicated under the surface. The soil usually has in geological circles that change over time over time based on weather, erosion and tectonic plates that change over time over time based on weather, erosion and tectonic plates. Clay particles can be onLake in some form or anov many lanes and appear in most parts of the world. They are most common in mountain, rocky areas, but as the country moves, the particles also make and often can end relatively far from where they were first created.

Most clay soils contain a combination of four types of minerals: layer silicates, metal oxides and hydroxides, allulofans and crystalline chain silicates. All of all carry negative and positive "charges", a term that concerns how minerals react to a cellular level with other close elements. In most cases, they tend to create an alkaline area that can affect the health of plants and other organic life.

Mineral clay soil type contains a tendency to vary depending on the location, temperature and humidity. For example, soil with red clay particles is common in hot, dry places while gray and white versions are BMore vigorous, cold climate. Color is usually a factor of mineral content and chemical composition. However, as clay works, it is more or less consistent everywhere.

identification of characteristics

Most people know that the soil is rich in clay when dirt in their gardens or around their homes is strong, sticky and very heavy when it is wet. It tends to have an almost "rubber -like" look that holds shoes and gardening instruments almost like cement. In fact, Clay is one of the key parts of the basic cement in many places.

The best way to find out whether the soil of the clay particles should perform a pH test to determine the relative ratio of acid to alkaline. Some kindergarten and gardening centers sell PH test strips for home use, but the best results are usually obtained through more professional services. Gardeners can collect samples from different depths and send them to the gardening laboratory for analysis. This process can be more than casual gArdeners needs, but anyone who wants to commercially grow crops or hopes to develop the landscape, may have to know the exact makeup of their land than extensive investment of time and money.

Problems for gardeners

soil rich in clay is often very hostile to plant life, both in terms of its chemical structure and in terms of physical attributes. As an alkalin, it tends to block the absorption of roots that prevents many small plants such as flowers and shrubs, to obtain the nutrients they need to survive. Established trees and shrubs with extensive root structures can sometimes resist high alkaline soil by finding water and energy by dismissing other stripes, but smaller plants may not have this ability.

The soil tendency to absorb water is also problematic. When the conditions are wet, clay particles tend to drain moisture from the plants; But when things dry out rather than return this water to nearby Surroundings, the land often simply simplyIt dries and bursts. A country that looks crumbly and broken on hot days usually has a lot of clay.

People who suspect that they have a lot of clay, but often want to mix other topsoil and fertilizers in their gardens often to get better balance in the soil. Many garden centers sell specially formed mixtures of soil, which are designed to act against alkaline and humid defrosting clay, but similar results can often be achieved by mulch, compost or even fertilizer. The idea is essentially to dilute the concentration of minerals and make the country more hospitable. Gardeners who are worried about delaying drainage and moisture also sometimes decide to plant the raised beds or hang the growers from the ground to stimulate excess water to escape.

Reflections for builders

Architects and Building Teams are another subset of people who commonly deal with land composition.Asting houses or other structures on clay soil can cause for forBlém, in terms of shift and settlement of land, especially when it comes to released foundations. As clay particles absorb and release water, they tend to expand and download, causing a gradual shift. Over time, this can lead to foundations that are cracked, crushed or in very bad cases actually collapsed.

mixing in other soil elements to improve balance can sometimes work in this scenario, but must usually be done on a very large scale. Builders more often decide to strengthen their foundations from the beginning, either by building larger reinforcements, or sinking them down into the ground to get out of clay.

ceramics and clay mining

ceramics manufacturers often use clay to produce ceramics, but this usually does not mean that the particles found in nature can be immediately transformed into a bowl or plate. The clay that is present in most of the soil is "composite material, which means it consists of many different things. Horn miners usually beginYchejná clay soil, but specify it and promote it into a "pure" product before introducing on pottery and craft centers.