To re-wet, repeatedly sprinkle the surface lightly, making sure there is no run off. Covering the surface with a mulch such as straw, leaves, wood chips, or compost will also help. Eventually the soil will become moist enough to break up. A gentle, steady rain will also do the trick.
Aerate the soil: Use a garden fork or a manual aerator to gently loosen the soil without turning it over completely. This can help alleviate compaction in small areas. Grow deep-rooted plants: Plants with deep root systems, like daikon radishes or sunflowers, can help break up compacted soil naturally.
Numerous soil scientists have evaluated practices that can avoid compaction during construction or reverse it after it occurs (Table 1). These practices include selective grading, special construc- tion equipment, reforestation, mechanical loosening, and the use of soil amendments.
Try adding gypsum (calcium, essentially) to the soil, and applying plenty of water to try to leach away any salts that might be causing the soil to act that way (the calcium interacts with the soil particles to displace bound-up salts, which are then able to be absorbed into the water and are leached away).
Simply add organic debris to the soil surface and let your “underground herd” break it down. As it does, it will improve your soil's texture and make nutrients available to your plants. So don't be shy about applying copious amounts of organic residue to your soil.
It may take an hour or more to thoroughly re-wet the soil. Be careful not to leave pots soaking in standing water continuously. Check them after an hour or two and remove them when they are hydrated.
Use soil wetting products and organic matter
These products, available in granular, liquid concentrate or hose-on form, can dramatically improve water penetration. “Soil wetting agents help by penetrating through the waxy layer, enabling water to be absorbed throughout the soil,” she explains.
Soil may also become hard due to lack of water, rocky composition, or excessive foot, equipment or vehicle traffic. Over-tilling, working soil when it is sodden, and mixing sand into clay soil in an effort to lighten it can all contribute to compaction, resulting in soil that is hard and difficult to work.
Will My Soil Be Compacted After a Heavy Rain? The force of raindrops mechanically compacts surface dirt, creating a soil crust that is up to ½-inch deep. This layer impedes drainage and makes it hard for seedlings to emerge from soil.
There is no truly quick fix to wet, soggy soil. To help speed the process, break up and turn the soil to expose more of the water to the air. Mix in some dry compost or other organic material.
A compacted soil has a reduced rate of both water infiltration and drainage. This happens because large pores more effectively move water downward through the soil than smaller pores. In addition, the exchange of gases slows down in compacted soils, causing an increase in the likelihood of aeration-related problems.
Ground Breaker™ Soil Penetrant by Green As It Gets™ is the best way to loosen hard dirt and compacted clay soil for better drainage and deeper rooting!
Soil science is a complex conversation, and “fixing” the patch of earth you garden takes time and effort. The simplest solution is to add organic matter. No matter what type of soil you inherited, the addition of organic matter is the best way to improve it.
Garden Forks and Rakes
Digging forks or garden forks are the best digging tools for breaking up rocky or hard soil. With their long, sharp-edged tines, these gardening tools are also good for aerating soil and digging up potatoes or other root vegetables. Ground rakes or garden rakes have several short, metal tines.
Adding lots of organic matter such as compost, farm manure, or shredded leaves to clayey soil will allow it to drain more easily and hold the right amounts of water and air for better plant growth and increased biological activity.
Apply a liquid fertiliser such as PowerFeed All Purpose including Natives as this will help to feed both the plants and the soil. Being a liquid it goes to work immediately to promote strong healthy growth. It also helps to improve the soil structure, improving nutrient uptake by plants.
You don't want to dig up the mud and cart it away--too expensive and disruptive. LIME IS THE ANSWER! of either quicklime or hydrated lime, dries up wet soil quickly, so that it can be compacted readily, forming a working table that will resist further wetting as well--you can get back to work!
Mix in a speed-treating agent – Adding a chemical agent such as quicklime or hydrated lime is a fast and efficient way to help reduce the water in your soil. The lime will chemically react in the soil to help dry out overly wet soil.
Generally, the hydrophobic nature of any soil boils down to the waxy residue which builds upon the surface, resulting in it repelling water instead of usually absorbing it. Sandy soil and dried potting mix will become hydrophobic.
Add Water
For old and dry soil that isn't compacted, add water to a pot of soil and let it drain out from the bottom.
They act as a detergent to this waxy, impenetrable coating that surrounds your soil particles. Breaking down the waxy coating, soil wetters allow the water to reach your plants' roots, ensuring it gets the goodness that it needs. What do they look like? Soil wetters can come in granular or liquid form.
The addition of ordinary washing detergent can improve the penetration of water in soil, but the effect does not last very long. Also many of these detergents contain compounds that are harmful to growing plants. They may also interfere with the life-cycles of some aquatic organisms.