How To Soften Hard Garden Soil

To grow healthy and beautiful garden plants, you have to start with soil in good shape. Soil that is too hard can take a lot of nutrients from plants, making them weak and less able to resist pests and diseases.

On the other hand, soil that is too soft can mean the plants’ roots are very close to the surface, making them vulnerable to damage from wind, rain, and insects. So how do you soften garden soil the right way?

The secret to garden soil with the right soften is inserting organic material. Adding organic compost to your soil mixture will create a nice firm-soft mix.

You can also mix sand in with this mixture, which will produce loose dirt, but still has the old earth’s general consistency.

Below, we will break this process down into an easy-to-read step-by-step format. 

A Seven-Step Process To Soften Garden Soil

1.  Know what your garden needs
2. Lift the soil out and place it on a tarp
3. Create a mixture of topsoil and organic material
4. Run a soil test on your mixture 
5. Place the earth and your plants back in the hole
6. Cover crops and the area around with mulch
7. Add the first watering 

Step One: Know What Your Garden Needs

Before you disturb the soil surface, you need to understand the needs of your garden. This knowledge will determine the right mixture of components for your soil. 

General types of soil include the following:

Sandy Soils: These soils aren’t very absorbent and won’t require the addition of extra sand. Instead, you can use more of this soil when mixing with your compost.

Clay Soils: Clay soils are excellent at maintaining moisture, but you will need to ensure that you mix compost. Absorbent soil is ideal, but that doesn’t automatically mean you have nutrients.

Compacted Soil: Hard soils are firm, hard to dig, and don’t have many nutrients. A high level of soil compaction will require both sand and compost. 

Ideally, you will want to shoot for a loamy soil mix, which feels moist and has a distinct earthy smell. 

Step Two: Lift your Soil out and Place it On a Tarp

Next, lift the soil with a spade out onto a nearby tarp. You will only need the first few inches of soil, which is known as the topsoil.

While it may be compacted, it will be vital for your plants to have something of the local variety. 

For the soil below, you can continue to break it up. You won’t need to lift an entire two feet. Tilling the earth is a great way to ensure your plants will be able to dig into that first layer.

For plants with an extensive root system, this will help them get the air and water they need. 

If tilling the soil, you will want to wait until the soil is warmer, usually around March. This timing will vary depending upon the local climate.

Step Three: Create a Mixture with the Topsoil

Depending on the soil compaction level with your dirt, this is your opportunity to add in necessary materials. You will want three essential components:

• Topsoil (the soil surface)
• Organic matter (compost)
• A nitrogen-rich fertilizer

To add organic mulch is an excellent idea to provide the necessary nutrients to your garden. For more information on organic mulch, check out this article.

To counteract the organic materials in your garden, you will need a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Organic compost and mulches tend to remove nitrogen from the soil. 

If your soil is too compact, you can also choose to mix sand with your soil. Adding sand prevents soil compaction and ensures loose soil particles throughout.

Step Four: Run a Test for Acidity on your Mixture

Your plants won’t be able to grow in your ground without having a comfortable level of acidity. To test this, you can purchase a soil pH meter. You can also purchase soil pH testing strips, but either works just fine. 

If your plants cannot handle your ground acidity, you can add agricultural limestone to reduce your ground’s acids. You can also take a soil core (a sample of soil) to your local cooperative extension office.

Soil cores for testing should be about four inches in diameter. 

Step Five: Place Your Earth (and Plants) In the Hole

If you already have partially grown plants, be sure to cover crops up to their root systems. You can stuff it down using the spade, a garden hoe, or your foot.

If you are burying seeds, place them about an inch just below the surface. 

If you have any exposure to roots, you risk pests destroying your garden. 

Step Six: Apply A Layer of Mulch

Once you’ve effectively buried any plants and seeing, apply a top layer of mulch to feed your plants. You can do this with wood chips, pine straw, or anything similar.

Just be sure that the materials used are safe. If you are using dyed mulches (black mulch, red mulch, etc.), be wary of the source of the materials used.

For more information, check our article on how to use black mulch for your vegetable garden. 

Step Seven: Do Your First Water

At this point, you can successfully pat yourself on the back and move on with your day. But before you do that, don’t forget to apply the first water.

For seedlings, this will mean performing a light watering. For your standard plants, you should do about the same. 

A Step-By-Step Process on How To Soften Garden Soil

Once you do the first watering, seedlings need to be done every day, while large plants need to be slowly watered throughout the week.

If you find yourself being forgetful, consider a soaker hose that will allow you to water your entire garden in one swoop.

After finishing up, be sure to mark off your garden to reduce the amount of foot traffic in the area. For extra assistance here, check out our article on how to install steel garden edging.

Final Thoughts

The process of breaking up your ground to prevent soil compaction can be challenging. But by combining it with many of your other gardening processes, you can save time and effort. 

There are moments where just tilling to soil will be enough. In those cases, do so at the beginning of the growing season.

Going through the rest of this process will include the added benefit of encouraging your plants to grow faster.  

For additional tips on keeping your ground in good condition for plants, check out this article on how to use a soaker hose in your vegetable garden. Thanks for reading!