I want to plant an outdoor garden this year. I got a new tiller and tilled up my patch for my garden. I'm planning on some tomatoes, corn, cantaloupe, watermelon, broccoli, squash, lettuce, and cucumbers.The soil is very rich but it packs down pretty tight almost like clay. What should i add to it to loosen it up? do people ever add perlite to outside gardens? i have some miracle grow top soil and potting mix all mixed together, can i add that? I'm planning on adding some compost but that is also a heavy soil.
Any help or advice is appreciated.
Don't add perlite or vermiculite. Despite what people tell you, don't do it. If you want to lighten up your soil, till in some mushroom manure, peat moss, compost, or whatever is available to you. You want something that's going to add nutes to your ground.
Now, if you're going to plant corn be sure to plant at least four rows. Corn is open pollinated and it needs to planted in blocks. It's better to put in a few short rows, opposed to one long row. Also, if you want you can add red clover or runner beans into your block. Both will add nitrogen into the soil, which your corn will eat up; and thank you for it.
Speaking of open pollination, you will run the possibility of your melons crossing. It's unlikely, but can happen. One thing that's for sure, you won't be able to save your seeds for next year.
Being that you're close to the river, i can assume that the ground is sandy/silt. You could also hit up your local landscape supply company and get some sifted topsoil. normally very loamy.