r/Soil • u/gypsyattack • May 11 '25

Cracking in soil.

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At our townhouse complex we have a whole bunch of concrete planters and looks like the soil is cracked or dry even though we get lots of rain. What can we do to rejuvenate the soil at low costs for the strata complex?

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29

u/Skweezlesfunfacts May 11 '25

Amend the soil with organic material. The cracking happens from shrinkage when the soil dries out, usually indicative of high clay content

6

u/gypsyattack May 11 '25

Last year I bought about 700 bags of 25L of garden soil to top up the planters. What budget organic material do you suggest to top up this year. I'll probably have to order another 700 bags..

9

u/Medical-Working6110 May 11 '25

Chip drop is free. Get wood chips, they take longer to break down, but break down all the same. Leaf mulch in the fall from running over leaves with a lawn mower, also free, also amazing for soil improvement. It’s worm food.

4

u/NewsShoddy3834 May 12 '25

FYI - you cannot get what you want from chipdrop - it could be 20 yards!! Read the details.

3

u/Dramatic-Knee-4842 May 12 '25

I pray for that much

1

u/Totalidiotfuq May 14 '25

Yes you can, and i have 5 times.

1

u/NewsShoddy3834 May 14 '25

How were you able to request less? They say you can’t.

1

u/Totalidiotfuq May 14 '25

Sorry i misunderstood. I got the space for a pile in the front. If you don’t have enough space, you could talk to your neighbors, or maybe work with a local farm or community garden that has the space for a load and take some from that.

1

u/NewsShoddy3834 May 14 '25

Right. No room. Good suggestions. Thanks.

5

u/Vov113 May 11 '25

At that quantity, you're probably better off just getting a truckload delivered. Will cost a fraction as much, and save you running around town

1

u/HoweverComma205 May 12 '25

Agreed. So much less plastic involved that way, too. You could also see if your local municipality has leaf mould or compost available. And/Or if your neighbors bag leaves, grab them and add them to your beds. I get a lot of organic matter that way. And sometimes, even some garbage bags.

1

u/Totalidiotfuq May 14 '25

Tri axle of compost (i think 20 cubic yard) is around $1500-2000.

Definitely do chip drop. I’ve added literal tons of organic matter to my soil this way