I dont understand why clay is such a big issue amongst gardeners. I relaly
believe that its only a problem because so many people expect it to be a
problem. Pretty much anyone who lives in a home built after the 50's has had
thier topsoil stripped away. I have the same situation in my yard. I do not
use any amendments at all when planting. I dig the hole, stick the plant in,
and thats it. I also dont fertilize my plants, ever. Yet they do incredibly
well. This is because CLAY HOLDS NUTRIENTS! People try and try to get rid of
thier clay, the one thing in thier soil that holds nutrients and water.
Instead, they dump in a bunch of sand that holds neither! The goal here is not
to remove the clay, it is to get the clay particles to arrange themselves in a
manner that allows for good drainage. Digging a huge hole, removing all the
soil, and then filling it with topsoil is not the answer. This creates a
situation where water cannot move into the topsoil from the surrounding clay
soil. It also cannot move from the topsoil in the hole outward into the
surrounding soil. This causes one of 2 things: either your plant dries out
because water cant get into the hole, or it drowns in the hole because water
cant escape. And a final not for the anti-clay-ites: what do you supposed all
those balled and burlapped trees you buy are grown in??

Toad