I have very bad rocky, clay soil. To dig in this is like prison work. We rototilled the area and put in topsoil and now it is like quicksand. I am going to build up my beds but want to break some up to get trees and other plants to take root. What are you supposed to use or do with hard clay? I love plants, and would like to get gardening, but I can’t think of how to solve this problem.
There is no immediate solution. It may take a few years of adding good amounts of organic matter and compost to improve the soil quality. Here is some information that may help you along the way.
A Seattle Post-Intelligencer article, ‘The well-made bed: Pile on the compost’ by Ann Lovejoy, provides some tips for improving your soil with compost.
Washington State University Extension horticulture professor Linda Chalker-Scott has a cautionary tale on how NOT to amend clay soil, plus tips on improving it slowly over time.
Fine Gardening has an online article on improving clay soil.
Lastly, a Home and Garden Television article entitled, “How to plant in rocky soil” may help you overcome the rockiness of your yard.