Its spring and we all know what the means; it’s almost time for us to
plant our vegetable gardens here in
Maine. But before we head outside to sow our
seeds, there are a few things we need to do.
Have you ever heard the term
soil amendment? Basically, this term means to change the soil by adding to it
and making it suitable for the types of vegetables you want to grow.
Amending the soil in your
garden in pretty easy. The first thing I do is take a look at it. What color is
it? Pick up a few handfuls of soil and run it through your fingers. What’s the
texture like?
Now, you can go out and buy one
of those soil test kits to check the pH balance and other nutrients if you want. I’ve never used one and
frankly have gotten along just fine without one. By the way, I don’t buy
expensive fertilizers either but we’ll get into that a little later in the
post.
Steps to Prepare Garden Soil
1. Pick out large rocks and
other debris
2. Amend soil - (add organic
fertilizer)
3. Till soil - This step mixes
fertilizer into soil & loosens it for better root establishment
4. Level soil - Use the back
side of a metal rake
5. Prepare rows/mounds for
planting
How to Amend Garden Soil
Maine
has rocky soil. If you’ve ever put in a
new lawn, garden bed, or field for that
matter, you’ve probably noticed. Thanks to the movement of glaciers through our
great state many years ago, there are rocks and depressions of all sizes
everywhere. This can be a pain when starting a new garden, but it doesn’t mean
we can’t prepare a nutrient rich garden bed with a little work.
The best soil for gardens is
loam. Loam is abundant in
Maine.
There are plenty of
general contractors and construction companies that will be
happy to sell you loam by the truckload or bucket load depending on how much
you need.
I use
loam mixed with cow
manure in my garden and it works wonders. My brother has cows and is more than
happy to bring me a load of manure. I never put fresh manure in my garden -
only year old manure. Fresh manure can burn the roots of some plants.
With that being said, I have a
special section of the garden reserved for my root vegetables. Root vegetables
like carrots and radishes grow best in sandy soil. Sandy
soil makes it easier for the roots of the plants to push through the soil and
grow.
To amend the soil, layer
organic compost or fertilizer a few inches thick over the garden bed and then
till the soil to mix it in. Once the tilling is done, level the garden bed by
using the backside of a metal rake.
Prepare Rows and Mounds
Knowing which
types of vegetables you’ll be planting,
how many, and where they are going to
go ahead of time makes preparing a garden bed much easier. Before
your seeds and transplants are ready to go into the ground, form mounds and
rows according to seed packet and transplanting instructions. This saves time
and energy when planting.
Taking the time to prepare a garden bed a week or two before planting, in
my opinion, makes getting the garden off to a good start easier. It’s less
overwhelming, easier on the back, and is a great time saver.
What will you be doing to prepare your organic vegetable garden this
spring?
Image: Image: Keattikorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
