Q&A - How do I amend my hard soil?
Question:
I have a garden plot that was a farmer's field years back. The ground grows great tomatoes, peas, and okra and other above ground crops. I cannot get any in-ground veggies to grow: beets, onions, carrots, and turnips. The greenery grows but the veggies don't. The ground tills up fine but then it turns hard as a rock. How do I amend my soil to make it easier for my plants to grow? Have tried chicken manure, horse manure etc., and it is still hard.
Answer:
Soil that tills up easily but compacts quickly may be a sign of compact soil. Adding organic material like compost as a soil amendment will help loosen the soil. Gypsum can also be used as a soil amendment that will break up soil. Get a soil test to see if the soil is lacking any nutrients, which may affect your gardening results. In this case, if you are getting good results with some plants leave an area alone where you will grow them. Don’t change what works.
Related Resources:
Amending Clay Soils
Improving Garden Soils with Organic Matter
Soil Amendments
I have a garden plot that was a farmer's field years back. The ground grows great tomatoes, peas, and okra and other above ground crops. I cannot get any in-ground veggies to grow: beets, onions, carrots, and turnips. The greenery grows but the veggies don't. The ground tills up fine but then it turns hard as a rock. How do I amend my soil to make it easier for my plants to grow? Have tried chicken manure, horse manure etc., and it is still hard.
Answer:
Soil that tills up easily but compacts quickly may be a sign of compact soil. Adding organic material like compost as a soil amendment will help loosen the soil. Gypsum can also be used as a soil amendment that will break up soil. Get a soil test to see if the soil is lacking any nutrients, which may affect your gardening results. In this case, if you are getting good results with some plants leave an area alone where you will grow them. Don’t change what works.
Related Resources:
Amending Clay Soils
Improving Garden Soils with Organic Matter
Soil Amendments