What this means when translated into English, is that the less pore space in the soil, the less the plants will grow. Most parts of the United States are blessed with clay type soils. While these soils are cursed in both wet weather and dry, the soils are quite valuable for holding moisture and nutrients. Instead of cursing the soils, we need to spend time learning to modify and work with these soils to create an ideal environment for our hostas to grow. One of the easiest ways to convert these less than desirable soils to productive growing environments is through the incorporation of organic matter.
Organic matter is basically something that used to be alive.
For most gardeners, this could mean a variety of materials from peat moss to compost to manure. The act of simply digging into these compacted soils does wonders for adding aeration. The incorporation of organic materials insures that the compaction does not re-occur. The English practice of double digging has long been realized as an important factor in producing some of the lovely and lush English gardens. Due to the intensive labor intensive investment required, it is not often used in this country.