[gbrown]

It disrupts the fungal life and dries it out, while also increasing erosion and weed pressure. It’s not that you can’t ever till, but it’s generally to be avoided.

In the case of clay, deep mulch will do wonders, and the earthworms will gently improve the soil over time.

[afrodc_]

I'm not sure if you know, but is there a way to promote earthworms in my soil? It's pretty compacted after the build and apparently they don't like that, so I'm trying to aerate and let my grass grow longer to break up what it can before I trim and let the roots die. For the garden I'm also planning on planting plants with deep roots, like sunflowers, to improve the soil.

[daddylongstroke]

Yes. As someone growing and raising between 60 and 100% (depending on year) of my family's food on a run-through clay and hardpan soil (150 years of cotton and tobacco did it), I can definitely say that you can turn compacted and dead clay around. Like the parent said - deep mulch is one way. In my case, leaves, grass clippings, forest duff, soiled animal bedding, etc. Really anything organic. You effectively want to "build" the topsoil, which will over time (4-7 years depending on what you're starting with) create enough organic matter to entice insects, earthworms, fungal growth (critical to soil health), voles and moles. All of these creatures will aerate the soil for you. No work required. If you want to do a test, throw a tarp down (or some other large covering) over an area, and check back on it in a week or two. You should have some moles already going to work on aerating your soil, and in turn, you should see at least some earthworm activity.

Also, don't forget the weeds. Almost all of the plants humans label as weeds, have very deep sub-soil penetrating roots (most are also more nutritious than the stuff we've bred for us or other animals to eat). If you want to rebuild your soil, let the weeds grow and then either use them for compost which you'll later top-dress your soil with, or just chop them and leave them be for the cover crop effect, or work them in slightly, up to you.

[afrodc_]

> If you want to rebuild your soil, let the weeds grow and then either use them for compost which you'll later top-dress your soil with, or just chop them and leave them be for the cover crop effect, or work them in slightly, up to you.

This has been my primary approach. Letting the grass and "weeds" grow relatively tall then trimming them down every month or so, letting the clippings rest where they are more or less.

[bluGill]

Where do you live? Earthworms are not native everywhere and they can be a harmful invasive species if introduced to the wrong place.

If you have a new house, developments are horible, just enough soil to grow grass. You might be stuck buying good compost and soil and tilling that in deep, then letting grass grow for a few years before trying anything more.

[afrodc_]

Seems to be the case I'll have to play the long game. They bring in this disgusting but shapeable soil to surround the foundation out here in central Texas. I remember growing up finding earthworms and fishing all the time, so they should be native.

[gbrown]

> should be native.

The word you’re looking for is “naturalized”. Not native, but they’re already there, so...

[afrodc_]

Hm why do you make the distinction? Is the implication that the earthworms were brought in at some point or does native not work as a word in this context?

[ratsforhorses]

Maybe try making something like a "broadfork" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadfork

Also, try asking a coffee shop for leftover ground and sprinkle it around...

[afrodc_]

This broadfork is interesting. I have a garden fork that could probably serve the same purpose. I'll give it a shot.

Also thanks for the recommendation of using coffee grounds. I have a couple local shops nearby I think would be willing to offload that on to me haha.