Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Heavy Clay Soil.

We are looking for heavy clay soil to be used in the construction of a cricket pitch.  Turfgrass is planted on this heavy clay and then rolled with a heavy roller to make it rock hard so that a ball can be bounced off the surface.  Generally the clay content is 30 % or more..

I have looked through the ontario soil surveys and found that the brookston, Caistor, Lincoln and Haldimand clay types all seem to have heavy clay content.  What i'm having difficulty doing to finding access to these soils as most of the locations where they are present is farm land.  I thought i would post on these forums to see if anyone can help me out find a site where we can get access to some of this heavy clay soil.

Thanks .

Views: 1737

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Radan on August 11, 2014 at 2:38pm
We have heavy clay soil contact me at Michaelradan@gmail.com
Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on August 11, 2014 at 2:39pm

How much clay do you need for the cricket pitch?

Truckloads?

Permalink Reply by Kato on August 11, 2014 at 3:10pm
Well i would take as much as possible..but a would need at least a truckload
Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on August 12, 2014 at 3:31am

Responses on Twitter:


EricKaiser46:33am via Twitter for iPhone

@OntAg 30% clay is NOT heavy clay. Need 50%. Have lots. Dirt not for sale. Grow crops in it.


clayalloverAug 11, 8:34pm via Twitter for Android

@OntAg how much acreage? Is eastern ontario too far? Near Alfred college. Bearbrook clay. Some of it is that hard now

Permalink Reply by Kato on August 12, 2014 at 4:40am


ClayAllover: just had a look at the profile of Bearbrook Clay...Wow..60-80% clay.  That is the kind of clay they use on Australian cricket pitches.  Does it shrink/swell...ie..crack when dry?  Its a bit far for us as we are closer to GTA but I wonder if we can raise enough funds to be able to truck some of it....Is there an area where it is accessible.

Only problem with going very heavy clay from what i've read is that it is very difficult to grow grass on it..specially since we roll it hard like concrete with a 2 tonne roller.

I'm also attaching a document that describes the ideal soil for a cricket pitch

Attachments:
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on August 13, 2014 at 2:26pm

There is some pretty heavy clay around Milton area.  You might be able to work something out with a developer in the area who is going to be building homes on the land.

As far as the best clay soil for Ontario conditions.  The University of Guelph Turfgrass Institute might be able to provide some advice.   http://www.guelphturfgrass.ca/

 

 

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Spring Wheat Condition Improves; Winter Wheat Harvest 11% Done

The 2026 U.S. spring wheat crop improved over the past week but remained slightly below a year ago, while the winter wheat harvest moved ahead quickly and crop ratings remained historically poor. Monday’s USDA crop progress report rated the national spring wheat crop at 52% good to excellent as of Sunday, up 5 points from the previous week but still a single point below last year. In North Dakota, the largest spring wheat-producing state, the crop was rated 61% good to excellent, up 3 points from a week earlier. Minnesota improved to 86% good to excellent, up from 78% the previous week. South Dakota rose to 52%, compared with 44% the previous week, while Montana remained under heavy stress at just 10% good to excellent, although that was an improvement from only 1% a week earlier. Spring wheat development continued to advance. Planting was 98% complete, up from 94% a week earlier and ahead of the five-year average of 95%. Emergence reached 87%, up from 72% the previous week and

Manitoba Seeding Nears Completion Amid Stormy Conditions

Manitoba seeding is nearly wrapped up, even as severe storms brought intense rainfall, strong winds, and hail to parts of the province.  The weekly crop report on Tuesday showed seeding across the province at 93% complete, up from 71% a week earlier. That’s just modestly behind 99% last year and the five-year average of 95%, after earlier weather-related delays.  Precipitation was highly variable across Manitoba over the past week, with stormy weather between June 2 and 4. Environment Canada confirmed three tornadoes, including sightings in the Manitou and Carman areas. Heavy rainfall in parts of the Northwest later in the week triggered overland flood warnings, while portions of the Northwest, Interlake and Central regions have now received more than 60 mm of rain since May 1.  Despite the stormy weather, seeding of most major crops is nearly finished. Spring wheat seeding is mostly complete, although the Northwest is still only about 80% done. Corn planting is complete, while cano

Supervised autonomy solution aims to optimize field operations

EMILI is using Verge Ag’s Launch Pad software to automate route planning on Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert during the 2026 season. In May 2026, Innovation Farms Associate Sarah Wilcott worked with Verge Ag to generate tillage plans specific to the farm’s field boundaries, elevation, and equipment. The plan was then synced to a John Deere 590 tractor before tilling began. Verge Ag’s Launch Pad is a web-based precision agriculture platform that aims to unlock autonomy on a farmer’s existing equipment.  “The current version uses smart heuristics to estimate how ‘costly’ any maneuver in the field is, along with various meta-heuristic algorithms to optimize the route ordering,” said Verge Ag Product Manager AJ Nolin. Its core feature is Path Planner, which helps farmers plan out the most efficient route before any equipment enters a field. The made in Canada technology is designed to be accessible and cost effective. It uses standard GIS shapefiles, costs only $5 to plan seeding f

CANZA Marketplace available for farmers

The marketplace is open to Ontario farmers first with plans to expand across Canada

Supporting wood-waste innovation in the Kootenays

A Kootenay-based project is receiving provincial funding to convert forestry waste into a soil supplement, benefiting agriculture and forestry sectors, while supporting training and good-paying jobs in the region. “People in rural communities are finding innovative ways to create new opportunities for their families and neighbours while caring for the environment,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. “By turning wood waste into valuable new products, this project is creating jobs, supporting local businesses and helping build a stronger future for the community. Through our Look West strategy, we are investing in the people, ideas and industries that keep rural British Columbia thriving.” Through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), the Province is providing approximately $182,000 to Wildsight to support its Fire for Healthy Soils project in Creston. The funding supports a pilot project to convert wood waste into biochar, which is

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service