What kind of soil do I have?
Assess your soil before you go out and buy a pickup truck load of new tools.
First, dig several small test holes with a shovel in different parts of the yard. If making a 1- or 2-inch-deep divot requires slamming the point of the shovel into the ground at full force several times, you most likely have some kind of hardpan (compacted clay, sometimes with rocks). Hardpan requires either a digging bar or a jackhammer, or perhaps both. Clay is easy to identify because it will form a ball in your hand when it is wet.
If you can dig easily with a regular shovel and your wet soil won't make a ball in your hand, it has a high sand content. This is good news, because sandy soils are much easier to dig in - but they do require more-frequent watering.
The worst sort of soil to discover in your garden is caliche. Caliche is a gray-white cement-like substance that feels like you've hit a large rock when you strike it with a pick. The good news is that it is usually very localized and probably doesn't cover your entire yard. Also, caliche may only be a few inches thick, in which case you should be able to break through it without too much fuss.
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• Scott Calhoun