[landarc]

Actually, I would fluff the soil surface also, as long as the heavy rains have stopped. The air is what is going to help you get more warmth into the top layers of soil. The longer the soil stays wet, the harder it is going to be to get the temperature up. Typically, there is a lag between the air temperature and soil temperature that can be minimized if the soil is dry. Water tends to be more stable than air in terms of holding onto a certain temperature. Encourging dryer soil and better tilth will give you the best chance of your soil temps increasing faster.