compost. work it into the soil, or top dress best thing you can do.

You can add compost, but you really need to dig in and find out why that soil drains very slowly. Just what does "drains verrrry s-l-o-w-l-y" mean. What is the time frame? Does water stand on the surface for days or hours?

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I can tell you that the water doesn't stand on the surface for days, but I haven't tried to determine exactly how long it does stand. Is there a way to measure drainage?

I dug a deep hole for one of the roses and noticed that the soil was darker and heavier than what I was used to.

Thanks!

Susan, kimmsr often posts his standard recommended soil test to determine things beyong a lab soil test; I've copied & pasted one such posting from Fall 07; the drainage test/length of time is in there:

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By kimmsr, Oct 07:
The best way to improve your soil is to add organic matter, but you also need to know something about your soil at the beginning so you know that what you are doing is doing what you want. Start by contacting the local office of your University of Massachusetts USDA Cooperative Extension Service and inquire about having a good, reliable soil test done so you have an idea of the base nutrient load and soil pH and what you ned to do to correct any problems with them. Then dig in with these simple soil tests to see what you do have;

1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

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 you 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.

This will guide you in the future and you will be able to see the changes in your soil.
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Hope this helps, wishing you,

All the Best, Tree

Thanks for posting that, Tree. It reminds me of something I read about increasing the fiber in your diet no matter what digestive problem you might have. :-)

I'll work on this.