How do you break up the soil???

[Rosyred]

Been to the allotment today as where it has been very dry the top of the soil has formed into rock soil balls and very hard to break up. This is also causing a problem for planting. Any ideas for me tomorrow to try??

[Rosyred]

[katynewbie]

???

To break it up for planting just water it first? Did that with some of mine this week and it worked.

;)

[grotbag]

Walk on soil first then rake it,my lottie is same as yours

[Rosyred]

Cheers i'll give it a go. Could do without this hosepipe ban....

[windygale]

Hi rosyred, try beating the soil with the back side of you fork,
honestly it does work, it will make a fine tilth for planting seeds,
have fun,
windy

[ann hunter]

Hi y'all
Been down to the plot today having had rain 'yeeeeees' and then sun++++
result hard baked top crust, and had last lot of tattys to plant. Fork, turn and smash seems to work pretty well!! :D :D :D
Also now have aching back! ::)

[weedbusta]

sounds like my kinda soil. you may find when it gets wet and dries out, it forms huge cracks. i've been advised to gently hoe the top to form a kind of dust layer to trap moisture, and keep adding as much organic matter i can get hold of.

[ThomsonAS]

I've found walking on the big dried clods works i've dug works pretty well 2-3 days later  in the evening if theres not been rain.

Alastair

[Rosyred]

We decided that today we would be down the allotment sowning and digging over but i've woken up this morning to rain. Its a good thing if it stops this afternoon as the ground will be better to work with if it don't i'll get wet! ::)

[supersprout]

Fork, turn and smash seems to work pretty well!! :D :D :D

Works well for me too, and/or rake and thump any cloddy bits with the end of the rake (the handle is upright and the weight of the rake does the work). I noticed a BIG difference in tilth-ability after a year of hoeing and mulching. The soil seems to break up more readily when semi-moist.