How to Amend Hard Soil

Flower and vegetable gardens need the proper amounts of sun, space and water but must always start with the appropriate foundation for success. Poor, thick or tight soil leads to failure, as the plant roots suffocate and die, or fail to expand. Hard, rocky soil doesn't allow for drainage or root growth, and it lacks nutrition. It always requires amendments but may be tricky because of its hard surface.

Garden hose
Organic compost
Mulch
Garden fork/rototiller
13-13-13 granular fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Amend soil at any time of year, but shoot for fall or spring as the ideal times. Amending at this time gives the soil time to rest over winter, preparing it for immediate spring planting. Water the soil for 30 minutes to one hour with a garden hose beforehand to wet and soften the surface.
- 2
  Dig into the soil to a depth of 12 to 14 inches, using a garden fork or rototiller. Break the soil up and remove any rocks or clumps. Mix the soil well to aerate it and prepare for the amendment.
- 3
  Lay 6 to 7 inches of organic matter such as compost, wood chips and dead leaves on the site. Mix the compost into the tilled soil, using the tiller or garden spade, to produce a mix of half natural soil and half organic matter. Items such compost add long-term nutrition to the soil, loosen it and keep it from hardening again. They retain moisture after watering to keep the soil soft and friendly to plant roots. When finished, the soil should be soft, dark and crumbly. If it's still hard, add another 2 inches of organic matter.
- 4
  Broadcast balanced, granular 13-13-13 fertilizer over the soil at a rate of 1 lb. per 100 square feet. Turn this fertilizer into the top 4 inches of soil to give the foundation good, balanced nutrition.
- 5
  Water the site for another 30 minutes to help the soil settle and the fertilizer to disperse.

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