Brooklyn1 wrote:
Fran Farmer wrote:

I've been away for more than a month, and although Himself did a lot
of watering, there are some places where the soil has dried out to
such an extent that it's now baked and water repellant and all
attempts at normal watering (ie hoses and sprinklers) are proving
fruitless.

How have others coped with this other than puddling and making mud
pies? This does seem to work, but I'm sure there will be some reason
why I shouldn't do this even though it can't be because of soil
structure since where there is none to begin with once it's as dry
as a chip. I also do not like using soil wetting agents since I've
never been able to find out what it does to earth worms and I know
they will return eventually, once it rains or the winter comes and
the weather cools.

Not enough details (climate, area size, growing?) but it's really a
no-brainer... the best way to improve adobe-like soil is to till in
organic matter and rich topsoil... invest in a Mantis tiller, a
truckload of good topsoil, many bags of peat moss,

Peat moss! Far too expensive. Why use an expensive limited resource like
peat that must be transported long distances (Fran is Southern highlands NSW
and the nearest peat bogs are in Tasmania) when some other local source of
organic material will do as well and be much cheaper. Peat moss is not
available cheaply around the world, stop being so parochical.


and begin a
composting program... over watering hard soil will just make a mess
and when it dries it'll make your soil even harder. There's no magic
bullet... you need to WORK at it... standing there with a garden hose
only demonstrates gross laziness.

Why is it that even when seeming to be helpful you must put your strange
insulting slant on everything. You know nothing about people but offer them
gratuitious insult anyway. If Fran is anything like the farming women I
know round here she has been working from daylight til dark these last 50
years and is only now slowing down as her body just can't do it any more.
regardless of the that you are such an ignorant, boorish oaf. Come back
when you can be civil.

David