There are short term solutions to soil problems and there are long term solutions to soil problems. On the left are files dealing with the short term solutions to the most common soil problems in the home landscape.

Organic Material Solves All Soil Problems In Long Term

What is sort of amazing is the fact that when you add organic matter to your soil consistently for two to four years, virtually every soil problem listed on the left will be solved. How can that be? Such magic becomes possible because the addition of organic matter to the soil each year will cause a significant increase in the earthworm population and the beneficial soil microbe populations. A soil with a healthy population of all these soil critters will seldom be compacted, will seldom have any chemical imbalance, will seldom have any drainage problems, and will seldom have any pH problems. Lousy clay soil becomes productive black loam. Lousy sandy soil becomes productive black loam.

No matter what problem you face with your soil today, there will be two solutions: the short term solution described on the left and the long term solution which is simply to find a way to get new organic material into the soil year in and year out.