hard pack soil

I live in a small Victoria townhouse strata. Due to an outdated watering system and overly severe budgeting in an attempt by the strata to control costs (established in 1997, plants and structures now in way of sprayers, useless micro sprayers, etc.) and lack of attention to annual feeding of the soil, we are dealing with some areas with hard pack....water not penetrating deeply. And the topsoil is dusty. The watering system is being improved by a local landscaper. Our budget this year is very challenged. As we go forward I will lobby for better soil maintenance but meanwhile, any suggestions? Thanks for any and all thoughts.

 

Have a read through this, from Michigan State University extension:

What to do about compacted soil

The short version is: add organic matter. Even if you just add it on top of the existing soil without mixing it in, the soil organisms will eventually repair it for you. To speed it along, you can use a spade to incorporate the organic matter into the top 3-6 inches of soil.

 

and make sure it's from a guaranteed weed-free source ---- baked to a certain temperature // out of bags // etc

do NOT let the contractor haul in a truck load of whatever good deal they got - and you'll end up with weeds (or uninvited plants) forever (well a few years)

whoever on your strata is in charge of this project will have to choose a reliable landscaper - and better be on hand when it gets delivered and spread

ps - I know this sounds harsh however I speak from experience and money spent on expensive weedy mixture