Anne de Langeais is a little desperate: her soil has suffered a lot this summer, it is all cracked. She would like to make it fertile again, to revitalize it. Maryse Friot, President of the Horticultural Society of Touraine answers him.
Know that the first 30 centimeters of the ground are the most airy and lively part. So-called garden soil (loam) is composed on average of 20% clay, 20% silt and 60% sand. Clays are very sensitive to the presence or absence of water. In drought conditions, the clay shrinks, the soil cracks.
What to do ?
– Unpack soil to allow rainwater to penetrate.
– Sowing green manures (in September it is still possible) such as mustard, shuttle; The green manures by their development, will protect the surface of the ground, the roots them, support the décompaction and help with the infiltration of the rain water in the ground.
– Y Tng Jun / Eye Em
These green manures will eventually be cut and then incorporated, buried in the soil, thus supplying it with organic matter. This, together with the clay and the calcium, forms lumps (humic clay complex) which retain water and mineral salts in the part of the arable soil and reduce the risk of cracking in the event of drought.
In spring, Adding organic matter in the form of very well decomposed compost and manure will further increase the water retention capacity of the soil and further reduce the risk of cracking.