A compacted soil is a diseased soil. You can find out how to give it new life again here.
There is no ideal soil for all garden plants known to us. After all, the respective plants make their own demands on the soil.
A good plant location is usually characterized by a crumbly texture. In addition, it stores sufficient water, is well aerated and contains sufficient nutrients. But we do not find such conditions everywhere. If we only look at the surface of the earth in our latitudes, we can see that it resembles a patchwork quilt that has stony, dry and sandy or moist and loamy as well as clayey surfaces.
Compact Soil
A problem for the garden lover can be compacted soil. This affects, for example, areas whose soil has been exposed to immense pressure from construction machinery for a while. A common problem, especially when creating a new garden. Garden soils that have a high proportion of loam or clay are far more common. These store a lot of water and compact on the surface when there is a lot of walking on the wet earth. It is therefore important to regularly loosen the garden soil to maintain he althy soil.
» What are the possible consequences?
Compact soil carries the risk that the yields in the garden will gradually decrease. Causes are:
❶ Poor soil aeration
Especially in garden soil with a high proportion of loam and clay, the soil pores are gradually compressed and soil aeration decreases. But in order to convert the nutrients in the soil, the soil organisms need oxygen.
❷ Habitat for soil animals is being restricted.
On the one hand, the number of soil organisms decreases due to the lack of oxygen in the consolidated soil, on the other hand, the habitat for soil animals is restricted. Earthworms that loosen the soil will move to other areas if they find it too difficult to burrow through the compacted soil.
❸ Roots do not develop optimally
Many plants only have shallow roots due to soil compaction and are therefore susceptible to drought. The result:low yields and growth.
❹ Waterlogging can form
In the worst case, waterlogging can form in the compacted soil after prolonged rainfall. If the soil organisms are then missing to convert the nutrients, rotting processes can set in.
» Be sure to loosen compacted soil
❶ Use the spade only occasionally
Heavy loamy or clayey soils are best worked through with quartz sand and compost. Temporary digging is allowed. In this way you gradually make the soil more permeable.
However, if you find he althy humus in your garden soil, then avoid digging it up, otherwise the helpful soil organisms will be killed. These break up the soil better than you could with a spade.
❷ Do not dig up he althy soil
If you want to loosen up he althy soil, you can shake up the soil a little with the digging fork or a cultivator (pig tooth) with the Pull bed.
Green manure with phacelia, crimson clover or yellow mustard also helps to loosen the soil. In hot summer, marigolds and nasturtiums are also good for loosening the soil on harvested areas.