I've previously posted regarding planters, as I had stones here. I've always hated the stones and knew it'd be a big job to get rid. I did it anyway and now I'm just p*ssed off to be honest. The soil is seriously compacted and between me and my partner, we cannot penetrate it, at all.
What would your suggestions be? I was thinking of adding some wooden lawn edging and adding new soil on top but I'm not an expert and unsure if that'd work? The black marker is where it will have to end as there's a service hole there. I'll probably put some stones back to make it look intentional and neat.
There's also a nice, big hole in the centre where the local cats have been shttng. At least they've softened up the soil there…. maybe they'd like to dig up the rest?!
I could always buy a rotavator but I'm hesitant because money. The cost of one is the cost of soil and flowers that I'd prefer to buy, but I'm not gonna get to that point if I don't have a good base anyway.
Help.
by rennalaa
31 Comments
Loosen the top of the soil as much as you can. Then wet it thoroughly. Then top it with rotted manure and compost and wait for the worms to come along g and do the rest of the work for you. Thats what I’d try, anyway.
It’s easier to break up when it’s wet so you want to soak it as much as possible before digging it up. Probably be better to use a fork to penetrate the soil easier than a shovel
Of it was me, I’d forget about digging it up. I’d get a nice big pot or two and plant in that. Something about 45cm+ high with nice big ferns if it’s a shaded area and maybe some ivy to hang down the sides.
I’d then cover the bottom with pebbles (the mixed flint ones) big enough to put cats off so maybe 3-5cm size.
Can you rent a rotovator? If not you might need a pick axe and a few weekends of elbow grease. You have my sympathy though, compacted soil is a pain.
There are other excellent suggestions here, but another one is to maybe try a mattock. They’re inexpensive and a few minutes ago uld gave that broken into nicely. You’ll get some largeish lumps of hard soil still but they can normally be broken down by giving them a good whack with a shovel or spade. Then you can work them over with watering/mulching/topping as suggested.
Riughly pick axe if you can and then just cover it with a 100mm (at least) mixture of top soil compost. Let the plants and the worms do the hard work.
Water and a mattock!
Garden fork and a pick axe. Don’t bother with a rotovator.
I could not get a spade or fork into my soil. I put a conditioner on top in autumn and it was a lot better (not perfect, but a lot better) by spring, where I could then dig it in
It’s baked clay by the look of it. Get a pickaxe/mattock on it and start top dressing.
Give it a good water, then try breaking the surface a bit/putting a fork into it to make some holes to allow water to penetrate a bit deeper. Give it another good water and try breaking it up a bit more. Rinse and repeat until it’s done!
Just water it- clay is like concrete when it’s dried up. If you have cardboard as suggested above, add that and keep watering each night. Then start poking at it with a fork
I have used this before to help break up hard packed soil. I would break up a layer. Rake it to the side and then do another layer of breaking up. Then, mix in the composed material while spreading the dirt back out.
https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Weasel-91334-Cultivate-Resistant/dp/B08C2C9GQ9/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?crid=D3JCAYH16CMI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pSllHNplpmEu2fjjWgDpA79m5d7jes-aiDuYQopE9zogqVy_S8Gp5Lx_aIplJkctWWaXv9h7G1ylgUyp618gcu1MPoiMCDPCYvKB-DxRuO2YuofqupuxMG3nSIU6IS0LCfue2HYhJ6syhF6PXG66PbKV78ph_gb7UkBKy3tLvrpj_bdsL8LoPi5SqpbAllejRzT3jbJ4iPFiqs0fYqVwqw.BEAJgGWyLA_-a8RC-GKnDrX_i2Vr-rUzcRL_yhz8bRA&dib_tag=se&keywords=garden+weasel&qid=1746286732&sprefix=garden+we%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1
Pick axe ⛏️
I’d lay sleepers on the edge and make it a small raised border. Add a load of compost and follow a no dig approach
Pickaxe!
Buy a pick mattock (30 quid at Screwfix) and go to work. Will be a bit of a pain but a great workout.
It’s way too dry. Someone else said it might be clay but I can’t tell from the picture.
Rake the surface and soak the ground. Do it once or twice a day.
When possible rake deeper grooves and stab the ground which will let the water soak deeper.
If that works dig down as far as you can, stabbing the surface below. Mix in organic matter with the soil.
Use some brown cardboard to help keep the soil moist.
Plant potatoes now. They’ll break up the soil a bit too
Having had similar after lifting flags, I used a breaker drill… saved a lot of time.
I’ve encounter this also, it’s a pain in the a$$. I had to leave it for a couple of months until I could put a fork near it.
Don’t use any tools until it loosen, otherwise you can say goodbye to your tools?
I’ve previously been pretty impressed with potatoes ability to break up hard soil. Other people have made some great suggestions but an alternative might be to put some seed potatoes on top and then earth up. Worth a try – you will probably need to water them a bit though as this area looks dry.
I’d get the hose on it and massively soak it before taking a spade to it
We are on heavy clay and I found it much easier today, soaking the ground first and then digging it.
I used a 12 inch long 40mm earth augur on a normal drill to place holes and break up soil, worked well and economical you just need to he careful not to overheat the drill if it is battery powered. I used something like this https://amzn.eu/d/6ZvGbOt
It needs soaking for a week. Forking in any old shit sawdust/cardboard/ kitcken scraps non citrus/ leaves and horse shit. In a year that will be capable of sustaining anything. You cant go deep enough.
Chuck some old pots of compost and sand in for drainage also. Its a piece of piss.
Do it. Good luck
How accessible is it, could one of those petrol powered aerators possibly help
Fork it
Wait till it rains a lot, don’t waste tap water on soil.
If you absolutely must pour drinking water into soil, use a plastic sheet to reduce evaporation when it inevitably dries out.
Soak it plant some potatoes. Job will be sorted by September. Or the cardboard mulch ideas above if you want it pretty sooner
I moved in to a house in November in what looked like a nice garden, the clay basically traps the water so it doesn’t drain at all so filled a skip by digging down about 2 foot in places. Then put cardboard and horse manure from a local stables and then will be using sandy top soil.
Anyway I suggest chucking some water on it and seeing how well the water drains away, if you are lucky and it allows it to be easily dug then start with a fork and keep going over it or dig a small patch as far down as you can, then dig the next section in the first and repeat. Once you have removed the stones and can work it easier some compost laid on top will sort it out. Just make sure not to build it up past the damp course though