Add layers of organic matter (your choice) to the surface of the soil and let the worms do the work. Seriously. They are perfectly capable of 'tilling' in several inches of organic matter per year. The secret is to not disturb the soil anymore than you have to.

SO! Soil improving can occur all year round with very little effort from you. Ain't that nice?

Agree with Rhizo. Once you have planted, the soil no longer needs to be disturbed beyond yanking the odd weed or digging a hole for a new plant.

Simply mulch your garden with something organic. It could be a layer of shredded leaves which are often freely available in the fall as the trees drop them, or it could be a softwood, shredded mulch, or it could simply be a half inch to inch of compost spread around. It really doesn't matter as long as it is organic it all gets into the soil with no help from us.

If you do not have a compost pile and don't wish to have one, you can also recycle your kitchen scraps by putting them on the soil surface. Basically 'in place composting'. If you have a mulch layer you can simply tuck the scraps under it to 'keep up appearances'. Spares the landfill and makes for happy plants, plus it's free.

Thanks for the info! I'm definitely doing this in the fall. My clay soil has a ways to go yet but slowly but surely...

THANKS! Abbie

Abbie,

If you wish to improve your soil as rapidly as possible then don't think of fall as the time, all year is the time.

Keep the bed mulched with organic material so it is breaking down all year. The mulch will keep the soil more evenly moist and this will keep the soil critters (bacteria, fungi, worms etc) working all the time improving the soil.

If your bed isn't the type where mulch is practical during the growing season (heavily planted, close spacing) then simply get in the habit of taking all the kitchen scraps (not meat or dairy though) and scattering it on the soil. Fruit, veggy, egg shells, coffee/tea grounds all work well

DITTO! I grow in very hard (red) clay soil, as well, and have found it to be far less of a problem than I anticipated. We till in a substantial amount of organic matter into the beds as we create them and then keep a layer of organic mulch on the soil surface at all times.

In your email to me, you mentioned that you did not have a lot of worms, but you may have more than you think! After a rainfall, they come jumping out of that hard clay of mine, all over the place!