The good thing about clay soil is that it usually contains lots of nutrients. The best thing you can do is dig in your own homemade garden compost, or use New Horizon Organic Garden Compost, which is made from composted green material. The coarse texture will bind with the clay particles to lighten the texture of the soil and improve the drainage. It usually easiest to dig clay soils in autumn or spring when they are not too wet or too dry. If you are able, you can roughly dig over the soil in winter and leave it for the frost to work on it. This will make it easier to dig in the compost in the spring. You could also dig in some J Arthur Bower’s Coarse Grit – this will also help to improve drainage.

For more specific advice on working with clay soils and J. Arthur Bower's Extra Care Soil Improver for Heavy Clay Soils see our dedicated information sheet "Working with Clay and Sandy Soils".