Soil Compaction Test

Soil Compaction Test

You want to determine if you soil is compacted and lacking OWL:
Oxygen, Water and Life.

Here's a simple technique:

• Dig a hole about one foot deep
• Fill it with water
• Time it to see how long it takes to be absorbed into the soil

If it takes longer than 30 minutes, the soil is most likely compacted and may need to be loosened-up with a rototiller this one time. This is not a technique to repeat because it tears-up the healthy soil ecosystem you are trying to build.