Tip of the Week
Prepare soil for successful garden bed

Whether your new garden is a success or not will depend on your soil preparation.

This is one of the basics of gardening that you cannot skip whether planting transplants or sowing seed.

First, take a soil test and send it to the laboratory to find what you will need to add for a healthy soil. If you do not know how to do this, call your county Extension agent or check with a Master Gardener.

Second, spray existing grass and weeds with an herbicide containing glyphosate (eg. Roundup).

To kill grass, it must be actively growing. Always follow label directions. After these die, you will want to remove as much of the dead grass and weeds, along with their roots, as possible.

Then, dig to a depth of 8 to 10 inches to break up the soil completely. If you are making a large bed, you might want to use a rototiller.

Go over the area several times until the soil is broken into small fragments. As you are tilling, remove any debris, weeds, rocks, etc. you find.

The next step will be to add a 4 to 6 inch layer of compost, shredded bark, peat moss, or other organic material to the top of your tilled soil. The organic material will aerate the plant roots and help to save water by absorbing and holding moisture.

If you have clay soil, it is suggested that you add expanded shale to the bed to make the soil more porous. In addition to the organic materials, add the nutrients suggested in the lab report.

These might be nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, etc. Work all of these amendments into the loosened soil, with tiller or shovel.

If possible let the soil rest for one to two weeks, this will give the amendments time to start working and the soil a chance to settle.

Before planting, rake and smooth the soil.

Once the soil is smooth, it is ready for your seeds or plants.

With all this preparation they should grow as you want.

Becky Hamilton Smith County Master Gardener