When soil is compacted, its water absorption and distribution rate is significantly ruined, making it impossible for plants to grow.
Furthermore, soil compaction considerably reduces air spaces in the soil for plant roots, a situation that results in stunted growth of plants.
Other than the relatively poor drainage of the excess water and aeration, compacted soil also results in increased soil erosion since the water that lands on such a surface runs elsewhere, carrying with it the top fertile soil layers after failing to penetrate the compacted soil.
Initially compacted soil can however be reversed.
Compaction of soil can be as a result of an array of reasons, some of the most common reasons being heavy traffic like frequent movement of vehicles, people, stock or heavy farm machinery.
Some of the compaction is usually deliberate with the help of compaction equipment like when preparing the lawns.
With shifting needs, you might want to reverse the initially compacted area into a farm.
Some poor cultivation trends like lack of crop rotation or over-reliance on fertilizers can result in compacted soil.
After clearly understanding the cause of the hard soil, you must then start reversing the situation based on the cause.
If it is as a result of heavy machinery, stock, or human traffic, you must reroute all the traffic.
This should be done early enough to give the soil enough time to rest before re-cultivation.
So much cultivation might be the only way for one to fully utilize the little land available but it is not always the best.
Once you realize that land is becoming compacted, you should consider moving the cultivation elsewhere, at least for a season.
This gives that piece of land sufficient time to recover.
Furthermore, as much as cultivating very moist soil is easy, it is not the best as the soil structure is easily broken down and has little time to repair efficiently.
There are various tools that one can use to break up hard layers manually.
Simple tools like a folk or a rotary hoe can be very effective.
It is however not the easiest way, but the best as the soil gets a chance to breathe again.
If the area is large, then you might want to use a tractor but be careful lest you worsen the situation.
Finally, try to amend the soil and help it regain its lost glory.
To do this, use some commercial products like soil improvers.
It is however recommended that you talk to your farm or agricultural specialist to get the best recommendation.
Soil improvers help join soil particles so that the soil structure is stable and cannot be compacted.
Before compacting soil, it is important to understand the consequences.
Even though it is reversible, it takes a lot of effort and money.