Question
James,
Question 1
My garden soil has a lot of clay.  I have tried to fix it by adding peat moss, compost, and soil additives (Dr. Clay) that supposidly break down clay.  By mid season our garden soil is hard as rock.  How much peat moss should I add to the soil or what can I do to improve my soil.  

Question 2
I had our garden soil tested and the results showed that it was lacking in nitrogen.  we purchased nitrogen pellets and added the recommended amount at the start of the season.  Our corn grew about 6 inches, potatoes are small.  Carrots, spagetti squash, zucchini and yellow beans grew  fine.  Should I add more nitrogen at the end of this season to prepare for next year?

thanks
Ron

Answer
Hi Ron, Repeat after me...Clay is Good! It's the best soil to start with because of it's for water and nutrient retention properties.  It just needs to be loosened. My additive of choice is finely ground pine bark.  It's cheaper than peat moss and works better. You can add any additional organic matter that you might have (compost, leaves, manures etc.) but these should be in addition to the bark.  
For a vegetable garden, I'd cover the area with 1-2 inches of bark and till it 4-6 inches deep.  Each year I'd add a half to 1 inch of additional organic matter, half of it being bark.
Check you pH every year. For good vegetable production it needs to be around 6.5 to 7.  
You soil will always be deficient in nitrogen and it should be.  Corn and leafy vegetables need alot of nitrogen.  Squash, tomatoes and peppers don't.  Start the season with a well balanced fertilizer 8-8-8, 13-13-13 or something similar at 1 lb. of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. The numbers don't have to be the same, but close.  Apply nitrate of soda to the corn and leafy veggies at 2 week intervals at the same rate.
On other vegetables change to a lower nitrogen 6-12-12 or something similar and apply about 1/2 lb of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. every 3 weeks or so.
On root crops, apply 0-20-20 once a year at about 2lbs per 1000 sq. ft.
Each fall, overseed with annual ryegrass to be tilled in next spring.
Have a great gardening day. Jim