| Your Guide to Soil Preparation | | | | organic material will greatly improve your garden's |
| What follows are general rules or guidelines for | | | | performance. |
| preparing any garden for planting. | | | | Organic material can be peat moss, shredded bark, |
| Preparing a garden bed before you plant will greatly | | | | composted or decomposed plant material, some |
| improve your gardens performance, and promote | | | | form of manure (generally cow manure), or even |
| healthy vigorous growth from any plant you choose. | | | | worm casings or rice hulls to name a few. |
| Most often preparing for planting is done in the | | | | Potting soil is usually some combination of the above |
| spring, and involves tilling or turning the ground, and | | | | list and may have little or no actual "dirt" in it. Organic |
| at the same time adding generous amounts of | | | | material helps to maintain moisture content levels, |
| organic material and some type of fertilizer. | | | | increases biological activity, and helps to prevent soil |
| The goal is to break up and loosen earth that has | | | | compaction. |
| become compacted over time, and to replenish vital | | | | Gardening Tip: When adding organic matter to |
| minerals and nutrients. | | | | planting beds or gardens, add at least 2 inches on top |
| Conditioning, or reconditioning the soil as it is | | | | of the bed and work in evenly to a depth of 4 to 6 |
| sometimes called, is best done after the winter rains | | | | inches. |
| or frost have passed, but before the summer | | | | If adding 2 or more inches of organic material would |
| growing season has started. | | | | raise your beds higher than you'd prefer, you'll need |
| However, soil prep can be performed at any time | | | | to remove some of the existing soil first. Don't |
| that the ground is not too wet or frozen to till. | | | | worry, your garden will love you for it. |
| Clay Soil | | | | Gardening Tip: When preparing for planting always till |
| A clay or heavy clay soil, will greatly benefit from the | | | | (loosen) the earth before you add organic matter or |
| addition of organic material, and it's almost impossible | | | | fertilizer. Till no less than 4 inches and no more than |
| to add too much. | | | | 12 inches deep. |
| Clay, because of its particles size and shape, tends to | | | | 3 Steps to a Healthier Garden |
| become compacted, and so will drain slowly or not at | | | | 1. Break up and loosen the soil (using a shovel or |
| all. Also, the heavy compact nature of clay tends to | | | | spading fork), to a depth of between 6 to 12 inches |
| prevent air from reaching the roots, which will slow | | | | deep. |
| plant growth. | | | | 2. Level the bed a little, and add 2 or more inches of |
| Gardening Tip: As water passes down through the | | | | organic material, then work in evenly (mix) to a |
| earth it draws air (oxygen) behind it. Soils with little or | | | | depth of about 4 to 6 inches. |
| no air tend to become "sour" as oxygen is a | | | | 3. Again, level the bed a little, then sprinkle or add a |
| necessary ingredient for biological activity. | | | | granulated-slow release fertilizer of your choice on |
| One of the benefits of clay in the garden is it's | | | | top and "scratch in" or lightly till to about 1 to 2 |
| natural moisture retention properties. By combining a | | | | inches deep. |
| generous amount of organic material with clay, you | | | | This method tends to simplify the process of |
| can off set it's tendency towards compaction, | | | | preparing a planting bed, and allows you to save time |
| improve drainage, and allow the nature of clay to | | | | and energy for other gardening activities. |
| help maintain moisture in your garden. | | | | Gardening Tip: All depths listed above are Rule of |
| A good ratio of clay soil to organic material is roughly | | | | Thumb measurements. In general all plants respond |
| 50/50. | | | | well to the above system. |
| Sandy Soil | | | | If most of the plants you'll be growing tend to be |
| Sandy soils are the opposite of clay and generally | | | | shorter (1 to 2 feet high), you won't have to till as |
| drain too fast, and so are unable to hold onto any | | | | deep (about 6 to 8 inches). |
| nutrients long enough for a plant to use them. | | | | Taller plants will have deeper root systems, so tilling |
| Organic matter helps to hold onto water and | | | | deeper in that case will be helpful. In general though, |
| nutrients, and as with clay, it's almost impossible to | | | | tilling deeper than 12 inches is an unnecessary use of |
| add too much. | | | | time and energy. |
| A higher ratio of organic material to sand is a good | | | | Gardening Tip: Adding organic material around existing |
| option, as the organic matter tends to break down | | | | or established plants is not difficult. Till in to about 2 |
| faster due to faster drainage (more oxygen). | | | | inches deep if close to a plant, and a little deeper if |
| Clay and sand are at the opposite end of the soil | | | | further away. |
| type spectrum. Most gardens will be somewhere in | | | | Simply try not to disturb the roots too much, and |
| the middle. The organic material available to you may | | | | always water when you're done to settle any roots |
| depend on what region of the world you live in. | | | | that may have been disturbed. |
| However, regardless of soil type, the addition of | | | | |