Decompacting the subsoil (deep rip)

The problem

Diggers, dumpers and delivery trucks compress the soil far deeper than a garden tiller reaches. Rain then sits on top, the ground stays waterlogged in winter and bakes hard in summer, and grass on top has shallow roots and thin cover however well it is seeded.

How to check

After rain, look for puddles that linger. Try pushing a spade or rod in: if it stops hard at 10–20 cm (4–8 in), there is a compacted layer, often called a pan.

Breaking it up

• Small areas: double digging, loosening the second spade depth with a fork without bringing subsoil up.
• Larger plots: a subsoiler or ripper tine on a small tractor or mini excavator, pulled through at 30–45 cm (12–18 in) in two directions.
• Work only when the subsoil is reasonably dry. Ripping wet clay smears it and makes things worse.

Then

Do not drive heavy machinery over the area again. Spread topsoil over it, working backwards from the far side so you never travel over the loosened ground.