Soil Problem No. 1: Soil is too dry.
Common to: sandy soils
Amendments to add: compost
If your crop beds drain and dry out too quickly, they can benefit from the addition of compost, which will add both nutrients and water-retention capacity. The North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension recommends incorporating a 3- to 6-inch layer of decomposed organic material on the ground that needs amended. Be sure to use mature compost, as compost that hasn’t fully decomposed can actually deprive your growing plants of nutrients as it continues to break down.
In addition to incorporating compost into the soil, mulch crop areas to reduce water evaporation from the soil, then turn the mulch into the soil at the end of the growing season