I would send a sample off to a laboratory for testing, so you could see if there are any outstanding nutrient deficiencies or overages. Also, plant something fast sprouting in the soil, such as beans or radishes, and watch the exact symptoms as they try to grow. Stunting, distortion, and brown patches on the leaves could mean contamination with long lasting agricultural weed killers through animal manures.

You can do a soil test for nutrients yourself with a little kit you can get from any garden supplier. Do you mean that plants you put in are not growing or that seeds are not germinating?

I forgot about the test kits, since they don't work well where I live--our soil is too alkaline!

Lol - no azaleas for you then!

Azaleas, yes, but just a few kinds, and in pots only. Gardenias, with much labor. Camellias the same. Pink or purple Hydrangeas, but no blue. Rhodies...fuggetaboutit! On the other hand, Bougainvilleas are easy, here!