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Newville, PA

Just a quick question...Every fall I put manure and other goodies in the garden and every spring the garden gets plowed and rototilled. The soil looks really good and I expect to grow big guys, but then that comes crashing to a halt. It seems if the ground gets wet from rain or watering, it gets hard. I can walk on the dirt and not make a indent in the soil. What is this from and what can I do to "soften" the soil?

3/11/2013 9:00:35 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Soil crusting after rain is a sign of too much tillage. You break down the soil structure and the result is a hard crust. I would suggest adding a lot of organic matter and do your tilling in the fall, just enough to get it incorporated a little, plant a rye cover crop, and spray it with glyphosate in early spring. No spring tillage. The dead rye will help protect the soil from the pounding rain and the decaying roots will help loosen up the soil. It may take a few years to get the soil structure back where it should be.

3/11/2013 9:14:26 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Gypsum also work wonders on helping breaking up soil

3/11/2013 10:13:32 AM

Bethlehem CT

It sounds like you have a lot of clay or silt in your soil.

3/13/2013 8:32:28 AM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Im with iowegian.to much tilling makes soil to fine& it compacts.have made that mistake & imo rocks help keep soil from compacting plus rocks under ground make moister& stay cool like little cool spots for roots to grab on.& down here take every bit of coolness possible

3/13/2013 8:42:52 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Check this web site out and see what kind of soil you have first Rkdarr. I once thought I had heavy clay soil. I did this same test and found it to be I had a lot of silt. Silt will be a hard crest on top after some good rains. To fix it, it takes a few years of adding compost. http://www.rain.org/global-garden/soil-types-and-testing.htm

3/13/2013 7:13:55 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/ Good information on soil health.

3/14/2013 9:08:18 AM

Omaha, Ne.

Start with a soil test. bet you have high magnesium

3/15/2013 5:39:30 PM