Clay soil, a fertile substrate

Is the soil in your garden clayey? Find advice on what to Planting according to soil type.

Soil is said to be clayey when its clay particle content exceeds 25%. This type of soil is very common in France.

Clay soil is heavy and compact. It retains nutrients and is therefore highly fertile. But it also retains water and can rot the roots of your plants. It's porous, poorly aerated and slow to warm up after winter.

Clay soil is difficult to work. In autumn, it sticks to tools. In spring and summer, clay soil appears hard on the surface (giving it a cracked appearance) and moist at depth.

Clay soil can be recognized by its dark color and the plants that naturally flourish in it. These include daisies, buttercups, clover, rushes and bindweed. You'll also notice cracks in the soil surface, caused by the hardness of the soil.

A simple test is all it takes to determine whether your soil is clayey. Take a deep ball of soil. If you can knead it like modeling clay, the soil is clayey.