On Thu, 26 Jun 2014 15:22:15 -0800, Guv Bob wrote:

I'm trying to get revved up for the weekend lawn job....

How's a good way to break up hard soil? Since it's all level, my first thought is to soak it good for a couple of days. I wonder if renting an aerator might also be good.

Most of the soil is fairly easy to dig down 2-3 inches, but about 1/4 of the back yard is bare & hard as a rock. When I was taking soil samples, I had to use a pick to get down that far. Good news is that the pH and nutrients for the entire yard, including this bare area, were the same. But the whole yard is dry and hard deeper than 3-4 inches.

How did it get so hard? Vehicles, traffic? Chemical composition?
How much time do you have? (Roots can do wonders)
How much area? (Is hand labor out of the question)
Is it worth doing?

My experience is that rototillers don't work - they just scoot over really hard soil.

Good luck!