Compost, or any good dark soil, will contain humates and humic acid. It's a growth accelerator, and it also helps the plant uptake water more efficiently.
I've given up on tilling and a lot of the ideas that go with it. I just get the best soil I can, then pile it into rows, cover that with drip tape and plastic mulch, and that's my garden. The space that my roots occupy is not very big, but it doesn't have to be with good soil. I get huge plants even though each one grows in only about 1-2 cubic feet of soil. And that's without using fertilizer.
I've also noticed that I hardly have to water, either. The soil is so good that the plants make the most of the water they have.
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