ground looks baked...but nowhere near dry.
 

I went out to check the ground friday (BEAUTIFUL WEATHER!!!) and
noticed that the soil (which I spent the most time prepping over the
last few years) was cracked.

To picture it, imagine a sun baked desert, where the ground cracks
into mosaic tiles, with clear gulleys between flat hard tiles of dirt.
Now imageine instead that it is all soft loose dirt, moist, but still
cracked with gulleys and looking like a mosaic tile. The ground is a
nice dark color and looked like it amy have puffed up.

I touched them thinking they were dry, but totally moist and ground
turned easy. I'm wondering if it was a sign of sudden swelling? Lots
of moisture being melted and absorbed by our sudden bought of spring.
Hadn't seen that before

It only happened on ground that

--I have added (year over year) humus, compost, manure, greensand,
vermicullite/perlite, and water absorbing crystal.
--and receive direct rainfall

The grounds near the house have all the same treatment, but don't
receive regular rainfall because of deep overhangs.

I'm hoping it is a sign of increased water retention capability. :-)
DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
4th year gardener
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalf...=/2055&.src=ph