Heavy clay

The soil in my yard is heavy clay, so much so that today I noticed that this hot dry weather has put some pretty big cracks in the ground around my yard.  In the back this isn't a supprise, as it is very much a work in progress and much of it is just dirt with little to no mulch at the moment.  In the front there is a lawn that I am pretty sure was an instant lawn installation about a year ago by the previous owner of our house.

I was wondering what I could do to help out the conditions around the yard.  In the back I know I need to get some ground cover in, and some compost/mulch material.  Can I put compost on the already established lawn in front?  Some of the lawn is pretty thin as well.  I was also wondering if clay soil would call for more or less water, or just the standard inch a week. 

I use a push reel mower by the way, and leave the clippings on that lawn unless they are super thick.

Your soil is in serious need of organic matter.  The clippings are the best start.  If you can be patient a few years, it will slowly get better. 

Patience is gold to the cheap and lazy. 

Are you patient?

I am, but my wife....


Not so much.  Luckily I am the one doing all the work, so I get to call the shots.

Keep fertilizing and keep mowing high and keep leaving those clippings.  The soil will get better and better every year with no further effort on your part.

A little lime dust on the surface will encourage earthworms to do their thing, and that will help too.