How Packed Should Soil Be?

As a rule, soil should not be tilled or cultivated until a ball of soil squeezed in the hand crumbles easily when poked. If the soil forms a tight ball and resists crumbling, it is too wet to work and will likely suffer from compaction if handled or walked on.

Can soil be packed too tightly?

Why Soil Compaction is Bad

All this translates to poor plant growth. Beyond this, when soil is too compact, it can make it difficult for water to percolate through the ground. When water cannot sift through the ground properly, plant roots can literally suffocate.

How dense should soil be?

As a rule of thumb, most rocks have a bulk density of 2.65 g/cm3 so ideally, a medium textured soil with about 50 percent pore space will have a bulk density of 1.33 g/cm3. Generally, loose, porous soils and those rich in organic matter have lower bulk density.