Abstract: Severe soil degradation and imbalanced physicochemical properties in abandoned mining areas often hinder plant growth. This study conducted an 84-day soil incubation experiment with ten treatments: a control (CK), bentonite alone (B1 (4%), B2 (8%), B3 (12%)), and bentonite combined with cattle manure (BN1 (12%+12%), BN2 (8%+16%), BN3 (6%+18%)) or earthworm manure (BQ1 (12%+12%), BQ2 (8%+16%), BQ3 (6%+18%)). The effects of single and combined applications on soil improvement were evaluated. Results showed that all treatments improved soil physicochemical properties, with combined applications outperforming single bentonite treatment. Among physical properties, combined treatments significantly (P<0.05) increased >0.25 mm macro-aggregates, reduced bulk density and specific gravity, and enhanced porosity. BN1 had the highest proportion of macro-aggregates (63.67%), BQ3 had the lowest bulk density (1.281 mg/L) and highest porosity (47.43%), while BN3 showed the lowest specific gravity (2.432 mg/L). In terms of chemical properties, all treatments significantly decreased soil pH, while increasing soil organic matter content and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Among them, the BQ3 treatment resulted in the lowest pH (7.23) and the highest CEC (14.40 cmol/kg), whereas the BN1 treatment showed the lowest organic matter loss rate (26.92%). In conclusion, while bentonite alone moderately improved soil properties, its combined application with manure markedly enhanced soil structure and nutrient retention, demonstrating a synergistic effect. These findings provide an effective strategy for ecological restoration of degraded soils in abandoned mining areas.