Preparing Your Garden!

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Before you begin doing any of your planting, you need to prepare your soil. Even though it might seem like tedious work to prepare your soil, it really helps in the long run. By preparing your soil, your plants will harvest better and you will have less disappointment at the end of growing season. Here are two easy steps to follow when beginning to prepare your soil!  

Step 1: Dig up the soil to loosen it. 

 

To loosen the soil you can use a handful of different tools. You can
go to http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/top-10-soil-turning-tools for the top ten tools to use. Normally plants need about 6 to 8 inches for their roots to grow comfortably. So when loosening the soil make sure you are digging at a dept of at least 8 inches. While loosening it, make sure to remove any rocks, clods, or greenery (weeds, grass, etc.). After you are finished digging up the soil let it sit for at least two days so it dries up.

Step 2: Further Remove Clumps & Add Organic Material

 

To further remove clumps spray water over the soil to moisten it and then dig it again. Make sure that you do not make it too moist when spraying the soil as this will cause the soil to compact and make digging and removing clumps more difficult. Once you have finished removing the clumps it is time to add organic material. Some organic material you can use includes: compost, dehydrated cow manure, well-rotted hose manure, shredded leaves, or even a mixture. Put the organic material over the entire soil surface then incorporate it into the 8 inch deep soil. Repeat adding and incorporating the organic material until your soil is 50-50 (50% soil, 50% organic material). After you have finished adding organic material, it is time to begin planting!