# Whats the deal with my soil crusting? Pics Update: soil sample results



## craigdt (Apr 21, 2018)

This section of my yard had about 100 little elm trees, ranging from 1" to 6" in diameter.

We just cut them down and had a stump grinder remove all the nubbins.

They basically roto-tilled the entire area, down to 8".

Looked great, for about 30 minutes until we had a torrential downpour.
After it dried out, it developed a thick crust on the surface.

Is this normal?

This makes me think the soil composition is poor. Does it simply need more organic material?

Just before the rain:









After it dried up:


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

"Looks" like sodic soil issue. Seems like that's not incommon in some parts of Kansas.

https://webapp.agron.ksu.edu/agr_social/m_eu_article.throck?article_id=87

Could be lots of things though with varied causes. Send a soil sample to KSU lab. You need to do soil testing anyway so now would be a good time for that.


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

It just looks like clay that has dried out. I wouldn't be too worried about it.


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## craigdt (Apr 21, 2018)

viva_oldtrafford said:


> It just looks like clay that has dried out. I wouldn't be too worried about it.


It seems like the crusting makes it harder for the soil to uptake moisture.

If it is the clay issue and not the salt/sodic issue, is there a way I can improve the soil composition in this area or fight the crusting?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I think you should do the soil test. Anything else is just a blind guess.


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

craigdt said:


> viva_oldtrafford said:
> 
> 
> > It just looks like clay that has dried out. I wouldn't be too worried about it.
> ...


Was this soil from a hole that was dug? It may seem harder because it's turned hydrophobic (coated in a waxy substance called suberin). I had something similar this week on a 6" irrigation line that we had to repair - pulled out the soil, and didn't get it all back in the hole and was left with a dried out clayey material on top of the grass...it dried out and became very crusty - just the clay particles losing their lubrication (water). You can test (if you haven't it's a good idea). If the soil is sodic (which I doubt), you'll want yo use gypsum. If it's too salty, you'll want to flush it with water - forgo all the products that claim to help saline soils as they are nothing more than a waste of money.


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## craigdt (Apr 21, 2018)

Update for interested parties:
Soil test result is in. Looks like the soluble salts are "OK"?


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Yes, your salt levels are fine, quite low. I think @viva_oldtrafford has the analysis right. The downpour saturated the soil and caused something (clay, maybe a calcium or sodium material or some combination of all three) within the soil to float to the surface. The light color makes me think that it's not just clay, but hey, clay is just a particle size.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

Looks good. Ph slightly high but nothing to worry about.

Sodic and saline soils are two different animals.
https://www.ndsu.edu/soilhealth/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Saline-and-Sodic-Soils-2-2.pdf
If you end up having trouble growing plants there, one more thing to think about. If not, don't give it a second thought.


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

It's normal for exposed clay rich soil to crust up like that when it dries. It does interfere with water infiltration. If you can mulch it or plant grass the issue will go away.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

If they were grinding stumps could some of the crust be sap that mixed in while they were tilling?


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