What does my soil need?

[OctaviaPole]

My flowerbeds always look so dry no matter how much I water them. What does the soil need to improve it?

Mulching.

Looks like clay soil. Do you plants grow well enough in it? If they do, then don't worry.

If they don't toy could add well rotted farmyard manure first which will help open up the soil as it gets broken down but the soil organisims then mulch. Just mulching might make it took nicer but will actually serve to further reduce the ability of rain water to reach the soil.

You need organic stuff to help the soil to hold onto the moisture. I agree with the others, give it a good mulch every couple of years and you will have amazing soil. Just some bark chippings would be good. It will help the soil stay wet and keep the weeds down.

Strulch mulch is amazing and better than bark chips for improving soil. Slugs dislike it too which is a bonus.

Agree with PPs. Mulching at this time of year or when it is dry will help retain moisture in the soil, but won't do much to improve it. Once it gets wet later on, especially towards the autumn mulch will be pulled down into the soil by earth worms that will help to improve the texture.

Any organic matter you can add to amend the soil will improve it, the more the better. Whatever you can get hold of easily will do. Rotted down leaves, well rotted horse manure, spent mushroom compost, grass clippings, compost from a compost heap, or your council may sell compost they make from garden waste.

You can dig it in or put it on as a mulch and let the worms do the digging in for you.

Erm no, any mulch reduces evaporation and suppresses weeds. Also you have to be careful with manure as it can contain aminopyralids which can devastate a garden.

It looks like clay soil OP, when you have a heavy downpour of rain over several days do you find it gets very waterlogged and sticky? I have quite chalky soil, but it gets incredibly dry in the summer. In late winter/early spring I put a really thick layer of well rotted manure on top of the beds- it’s a big job and it takes several days. You don’t need to dig it in, just leave it on top and the worms do the rest. Then whenever I plant anything I give it a really good water and then put a thick layer of strulch around the plant to keep the moisture in. Gradually it is beginning to improve things, but it’s a slow burn!