If soil won't harden after a Perma-Zyme application, here's how you can fix it.
Why Won't the Soil Harden?
Traditionally, soil won’t harden because of two factors: climate or soil characteristics.
Climate means rain or high humidity. This is rarely the case, and if it is, it is often obvious.
Soil characteristics refer to the soil’s plasticity and ability to retain moisture. Very plastic soils (fatty clays) commonly retain moisture and won’t dry, compromising the soil’s structural integrity. This problem can be deceiving because the top layer of the soil looks dry, but a few inches underneath the surface, the soil is still wet.
How to Fix Soil Not Hardening
In most cases, the best way to harden soil is to remove as much traffic as possible and give it more time to dry. The wait time depends on the climate and treatment depth. The damper the climate or deeper the treatment, the longer the soil will take to harden.
In extreme cases, it might be necessary to rework the application and compact the soil in smaller lifts to allow the soil to harden. For example, instead of compacting the soil in one six-inch lift, start by compacting one three-inch lift. Then, wait for the soil to dry completely before applying and compacting the second three-inch lift.