More organic matter helps always.....compost, more peat moss, and such. Sand can pack if it is all the same size grains. A mixed sand is best.

It is said that too much magnesium (in relation to calcium) will cause soils to tighten up (it has to do with molecular size). Perhaps a soil analysis is in order? ...otherwise you might try a shotgun approach and add gypsum (which is calcium sulfate... the sulfate will help move some of the magnesium out while also adding more calcium, without altering pH)... bottom line is gypsum will soften hard soil but if you are going to do it, now would be the time. Just a thought...

What was your mix of top soil, peat, and compost? Sounds like you didn't have much of the latter.

dan, You may be right, but also peat moss always loosens.

'peat moss always loosens.' If peat dries out it becomes hydrophobic and can end up like cardboard.

What is the mix of that soil, ie. how much sand, clay. silt, and organic matter is there?

What does a good reliable soil test say about that soil? The soils pH? The soils nutrient levels?

kimmq is kimmsr

floral, I don't just dump some peat moss on top but rather intregrate it fully into the soil mix....works for me.

If the 'top soil' was clay and you added enough sand, that makes a concrete-like aggregate. A tiny amount of sand, or a lot (over 1/3) is OK, but anywhere in between about 5 and 30% is asking for trouble. This may be your problem.

You could add some silty soil if you can find it, or mix the soil from the two beds to change the mix. Organic matter can help soil texture problems but I hesitate to recommend more of that without knowing how much is there now. If the organic matter is already very high (if it looks more like potting mix than soil, for example), I'd go with the silty soil as a solution. You'd need more mineral soil anyway in that case, since the peat and compost will continue to decompose and shrink over time.

I started with silty clay loam which is very fertile soil. I added 3 inches of coarse/and medium sand. I also added 4 inches of fluffy sphagnum peat moss from a local bog. I mixed these in deeply and intregrated them well. I also add back the crop residues and add horse manure too.

As soon as I added and mixed in the sand and peat moss, it was like a taste of heaven as far as the tilth is concerned...not years later.

My soil original;lly may have had 25% sand...just a guess, but by being labeled a loam, the definition requires some sand. Adding 3 inches sand to 8 inches original soil, makes it about 5 inches of sand of 11 inches now. Add in the soil loosener [peat and organic matter] and it is loose.

Well, it doesn't sound like a clay/sand concrete problem then. I'm stumped. If it was a new bed I would have said the texture may be flaky until everything settles in for a year, but if it's two years old that's not likely.

I think the OP never responded as to the topsoil/peat/compost composition of the bed. If there was a lot more topsoil than peat moss or compost, sure, you could end up with something hard. Not knowing the composition, I think the only answer has to be to add a lot more organics.