How to Make the Soil Loose

Tightly compacted soil suffers from poor drainage and irrigation properties, making it easy for water to build up and drown plants, or preventing enough water from entering the soil to begin with. In addition, tight soil can prove difficult to work with, resisting poking and prodding with manual hand tools such as spades and rakes. Tightly packed soil is usually of the clay soil type, but excess foot traffic can also compress soil. Fortunately, several techniques help gardeners combat compaction and make the soil loose again.

Spade or shovel

Tiller

Organic material

Stakes

String

Hay or straw

Moisten the surface of the compacted soil to loosen it up a bit. Apply just enough water to make the soil's surface tacky but not quite damp.

Drive the tip of a spade or shovel repeatedly into the ground to break the surface. Continue until the surface is broken over the entire area.

Till the soil to a depth of 1 foot.

Apply an even layer of 2 to 3 inches of organic matter such as compost, manure, leaves or straw over the tilled area. Till the area again to mix the organic matter into the soil.

Cover the soil with organic mulch, such as compost, straw or grass clippings. Replace the mulch as needed throughout the year. Keep the mulch in place over the winter as well as in warmer seasons

Drive stakes into the ground at the edges of the garden bed. Run a length of string between the stakes to block off the soil to foot traffic, which can compact the soil again.

Till in more organic matter the following spring if the soil is still tight. The overall looseness and texture of the soil will improve as more organic matter is absorbed by the soil.

Tilling helps loosen the soil on an immediate, short-term basis.

Fully loosening the soil may take several years of tilling and compaction protection.