Clay soil is often referred to as "capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater". It tends to compact and become capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater when it is tilled, walked on, or worked when it is wet. Clay soil that becomes too capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater can take a long time to restore to a good soil capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater. The wet quality of clay soil requires the addition of large amounts of organic capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater such as green plant material, animal manures, leaf capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater and compost to improve its structure.

Contrary to sandy soil, clay soil has very small capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater with tiny pore spaces or capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater. Since there are more pore spaces, capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater soil has a larger total pore space than sandy capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater, due to which the soil absorbs and retains more capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater. This makes the soil poorly aerated and poorly capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater.

Since clay soils have a high water-retentive capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater, they are prone to alternating contraction and capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater in winters when the ground freezes and capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater. When the clay soil dries, it crusts and capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater. The cracking of the soil damages the capacityclaycloddycompactedcracksdrainedexpansionheavy soilmattermicroporesmoldparticlesrootssoilstructurethawswater and other parts of the plants.