Garden soil extremely dense. How to fix? - Ask Extension
First year with a raised bed, I purchased a garden soil from Dakota Prairie Compost that was 40% Compost, 40% Screened Black Dirt, 20% Peat Moss. This...
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Garden soil extremely dense. How to fix? #926435
Asked March 21, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT
First year with a raised bed, I purchased a garden soil from Dakota Prairie Compost that was 40% Compost, 40% Screened Black Dirt, 20% Peat Moss. This soil ended up be EXTREMELY dense. So dense, you could not dig into it by hand, and all the radishes we planted only grew leafage and no actual root, although all of our fruiting plants and legumes did not seem to mind it.
I am not sure what caused this, but am planning on buying large bags of perlite to incorporate this year into the soil before planting again.
I have two questions
1) Is there anything else besides perlite I should be incorporating this year to lighten the density?
2) What is the best way to till the incorporations in? I read its best to hand til raised beds, but the soil is so dense you can't dig into it with your hands.
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Was last year the first year with this bed? Have you contacted Dakota Prairie about the problem? They may be able to help you solve the issue.
I would not add perlite to the beds. You may need to add more compost to lighten it up. I also recommend that you get a soil test. The soil test will tell you what kind of amendments you need, including a description of the soil texture. The soil test will give you recommendations to improve the soil.
https://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/
