Soil in my garden

Mpa10674563
by Mpa10674563
a friend filled my above ground beds with soil. i do not know where he got it but it gets very hard if i do not keep it watered. what should i add or use to keep the soil more soft for the veggies to grow? thank you for your help pat l

  9 answers
  • Big lulu Big lulu on Oct 01, 2017

    vermiculite

  • DesertRose DesertRose on Oct 01, 2017

    add sand and oganic material like straw or old hay or even 2 yrs old livestock manure. Do not add new manure, it will burn your plants. Turn all 3 elements together: the hard soil, the sand, and the organic material. Hope this helps!

  • Big lulu Big lulu on Oct 01, 2017

    Add Vermiculite.

  • Kba28478716 Kba28478716 on Oct 01, 2017

    you need organic material. Grass clippings, leaves, composted leaves, vegetable peels.

    Vermiculite added to the garden or vermiculite in potting soil increases water and nutrient retention and aerates the soil, resulting in healthier, more robust plants

  • Dl.5660408 Dl.5660408 on Oct 01, 2017

    Add lots of compost, you may need to remove some of the soil to do this. Mix it well so the soil is more friable. After planting ,cover exposed soil with either more compost or mulch to help keep the soil retain moisture. You may want to add manure to the soil when you mix in the compost. I make my own compost with coffee ground, vegetable scraps and dried leaves then when it's decomposed over the winter I add it to my soil in the spring

  • Dfm Dfm on Oct 01, 2017

    peat moss and maybe some sand. one of the master gardeners on this site shared a soil mix recipe for my containers -should be a good base for a raised bed/ equal parts top soil, compost, peat, perlite or vermiculite. i mix it on a tarp grab 1 edge and roll the dirt over go to the next side do the same. i'm betting youve got the top soil and maybe some clay....

  • William William on Oct 01, 2017

    Mix in some compost and peat moss. Do not add any organic material unless it has been broken down by composting.

  • Cindy Cindy on Oct 01, 2017

    In my garden I use one-third soil, one-third manure, and one-third sand. The sand is very important for water retention. My harvest this year was bountiful. I highly recommend this combo.

    • See 1 previous
    • Cindy Cindy on Oct 03, 2017

      Hi Mpatsewing, I use dry manure. I have two sons who worked for a landscaping service. They were able to purchase and mix my garden soil. They used wheel barrels to mix the 3 components together. I think the most important aspects of a good garden are soil, deep-root watering, sun and pollination. Let me know if I can help with your garden. Wishing you well.

  • JS MysMan JS MysMan on Oct 02, 2017

    It sounds like it is mainly clay - you need to add a lot of organic matter to break it up - compost, compost and more compost.