2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

The soil plants grow in is the most important part of a garden so take the time necessary to look at what you have and what you can do to make it better. Purchased compost can be really iffy since you have no idea what really went into it, however that may be the only option some people have. If I had to buy compost I would purchase one bag, take it home, and take a really good look at the stuff. What does that "compost" smell like (compost should always smell of good rich earth and nothing else), what appears to be in this stuff (very little of the original material should be easily identifiable), put some of this stuff in a 1 quart jar and fill it with water. There should not be anything on the bottom of the jar because that would be soil and not compost.

With high-nitrogen substances that cross the line into fertilizer, wait until no more than 3 weeks before planting to mix them in. Compost can go in sooner, or you can leave it piled on the surface and wait until the soil warms to dig it in. Minimal biological activity will take place until soil temps rise above 45F, and meanwhile digging about in wet soil can ruin its structure.

Im in Chicago is freezing here right now but has been a very mild winter with not any snow at all. The soil doesn't even seem hard at all In boxes. I dug it all toward middle And left the soil all in mounds. Thanks for the steps. My soil is obviously probably freezing will all those tests still work at this time of year?
And where should I take it to get tested?

I don't know how big of a space you have but I found that buying it in bulk is really the way to go. I get mine for $12/yd in my pickup. Even if you only use half of it initially, you can mulch with the rest. Google bulk compost chicago.

Kevin

Typical.

The purists will tell you use your own compost, go organic, etc. And that is probably your end goal. But the reality is that it takes time, usually years to get there. You want to be ready to go this Spring. Here is what I did in the same situation. I built three 4'x12' raised beds that are 24" high. I didn't have enough of my own compost to fill them. So I supplemented with bagged compost (OMRI approved) from my local big box store. After 2 years of composting, I was able to fill my beds full of my own compost last fall before the snows hit.

I would go ahead and add your compost and mix it in now to let it start any bacterial processes and blending with your soil. By the time you plant in 2 months it'll be ready to go.

As you continue to garden, you will be able to make your own compost and mulch. Like anything else, it's a process. You don't start out with the desired results, you have to work towards it. But that's what I enjoy about these forums, I read the posts, use what I can at the time and work towards my goals.

Also you say you have a restaurant. Do you have a basement? Here is what a local restaurant here in Boise is doing to compost their scraps.

What a cool Boise restaurant. If we lived there, we would definitely support such an environmentally sensitive business and I sure hope home gardeners in that part of Idaho do. Thanks for the link.