The Garden Tiller Talks Dirty

We have looked at the what of garden prep. Now we look at the why. Here is a list of dirt components

Clay

Sandy Clay

Clay Loam

Silty Clay

Silty Clay Loam

Silty Loam

Sandy Loam Loam

Silt

Sand

None of these components will support plant growth by itself. Clay will hold water but makes root development difficult. Sand alone will not hold wate. What is needed is a mixture of all the forms as clay and sand have minerals. Loam has organic material. Minerals and organic material are required for optimum plant growth.

Side Bar This story suggests another task that should be part of garden prep. There were two aggy brothers named Delwin and John Eddy that wanted to start a chicken farm. So when planting season came Delwin prevailed and he planted all the chickens that they had purchased feet first. By the end of the growing season all the chickens had died. The next year it was John Eddy's turn. He planted the chickens head first. Much to their surprise at the end of the growing season these chickens also died. Well the brothers retired to their front porch with iced sweet tea to ponder their problem. After some timed they decided to consult with the "Head Aggy" at Texas A&M university. When the brothers had described their experiences the "Head Aggy" said "Boys you forget to test a soil Sample".

You may be able to visually get a good balance. It is necessary to check the ph and chemicals present. If there are chemical deficiencies before plowing you can add them in.

Also you can adjust deficiencies in the texture before plowing as well.

How do you prepare your soil moving on? Start by dividing the garden into fourths. When you put in the plants put nitrogen fixing legumes. Leave the legumes in the soil over winter then the next year plow the legumes under and plant that area with crops. Put legumes into the next area and repeat. This way you add in the fertilizer naturally and will see amazing growth, production and crop size.