Adding amendments to hard pack clay soils is an exercise in aggravation and frustration. Like diamonds, clay soil is forever.
Much like what was described above by SedonaDebbie -"Concrete high desert soil".
Why not just add a good top soil and build up beds no wood frames are needed for your purposes. First tilling the soil, then roll cardboard , tarps over the top or other source of cover to prevent weed seeds from germinating . Or there are a few organic weed killers available -Avenger is an organic weed killer I use. It may take a bit longer than the chemical weed killers but it works just as well.
Once the area to be planted is prepped just add 4-6" or whatever amount fits your garden needs of top soil or animal scat which has been dried and treated with heat to block any bacteria or antigen's in the soil , additionally add leaf or other preferred organic content. In my garden I prefer mushroom compost in all the built up beds over a couple of acres.
Preparing the soil first is the most important step.
Much like the first step in adding grass seed to any lawn.
First prepare the garden soil, then water. To retain moisture add a top dressing. I use - crushed hazelnut shells or bark to help hold the moisture in the soil where it's needed to prevent evaporation.
Studies show that shade trees also help soils from drying out quickly. Trees and vegetation, bushes, shrubs, and tall grasses lower surface and air temperatures by providing shade and cooling through evaporation and transpiration, also called evapotranspiration.
Unfortunately we don't have herds of the cattle every day applying fresh hot droppings on soil which kill anything under it and the constant process of cattle grazing on the wild grasses . And grazing down to the roots will also kill the grass in dry hot temps.
Cattle scat is loaded with weed and grass seeds. They omit in the video how the rains wash out the heavily deposited areas from the cattle left behind spreads across the fields from the rains which eventually comes. This natural, mixture in the grasslands is much like the heated scat added as 'Manure Tea' that was once popular and added to gardens mixed with water & oxygen. This is the mixture that treats the grasslands which are left to grow to seed will reseed the grasslands naturally thru rotation of the cattle .
Very similar to what we have done in the pastures with our horses.
