Tool for breaking hard soil

Compaction occurs when a wet soil receives different loads. Then, when it dries, it becomes even harder. Plants need soils with enough empty spaces to develop and grow. With the right tools and techniques, you can soften the hardest ground in a short time. Therefore, returning lost moisture will help release its particles. To do this, connect a hose to the nearest water faucet and water the hard ground until it becomes darker.

Let excess water drain through the particles and empty spaces fill with air. The most commons are:. A peak shovel is useful for deep penetration. It has a point tip and a flat tip. The point tip serves to break the ground, concentrating all the force on the same point. Instead, the flat tip serves to remove loose soil. Soil may be hard because it is compacted or has a high clay content. Other soil amendments to consider include gypsum, sand and fertilizer.

Rather than adding these materials blindly, it is best to have a soil test performed through your local extension office and follow the recommendations given in the test results. This will ensure the soil is ready and that your new plants will have the nutrients, pH level and soil type they need to thrive. Finally, make sure the soil is moist but not wet when you till. Tilling wet soil can cause rough soil and increase the chance of compaction as you move heavy tools over the soil.

Maureen Malone has been a professional writer since She is located in Tucson, Arizona where she enjoys hiking, horseback riding and martial arts. She is an outdoor lover who spends her weekends tending her raised garden and small orchard of fruit trees. By Maureen Malone Updated May 24, Related Articles. Faithful Pick Axe with Fiberglass Handle. Garden rakes make short work of leveling out ground and creating raised beds, and leaf rakes are good for spreading lightweight mulches and smoothing the finely prepared soil on top of a seedbed.

A must-have soil-care tool with a rounded edge. Handy for scooping compost , cutting into hard ground, and digging soil out of planting holes.

A squared-off blade makes cutting through sod a snap. Also useful for digging new beds or borders and for edging. Though specifically designed to cut into the soil with its four flat or slightly rounded tines, the spading fork can mix materials into the soil and harvest root crops as well. Rotary tillers are unsurpassed for breaking new ground, breaking up large soil clumps, digging furrows, and mixing in soil amendments, compost, and cover crops.

But be careful not to overtill because it destroys soil structure. This miniature shovel is perfect for digging holes for smaller plants and bulbs and for removing unwanted weeds. Protect your hands when using many of the tools listed above by wearing gardening gloves.