Preparing soil for growing fruits and vegetables.

  Good day my gardening Chums!

Nothing is more satisfying than producing your own fresh garden vegetables. The tastiest veg and fruits  comes from your garden.

The most important part of successful gardening is to properly prepare the soil. Heavy clay soils are fairly rich in nutrients but very poor in aeration and drainage. An ideal garden soil will contain at least 20% organic matter to improve aeration and drainage as well as to hold nutrients until plants can use them. Chicken  manure or compost can all be added.

To prepare the soil, first wait until the soil is ready to work. If the soil is too wet, clay will pack into hard clods. To check the soil, squeeze a handful into a ball, then press on it. If it crumbles, the soil is ready. If the soil dents like modeling clay, it is too wet to use. If the soil is too dry, it will shatter into dust, then turn to mud when it is watered. Water dry soil and let it soak in for a day or two and with our constant rain that wont take long! I recommend  two or three inches of compost.

Raised beds provide better drainage and aeration. i will soon be posting some ideas on how to make them with step by step guides. The beds should be narrow enough so the middle can be reached from the side where you built it. A four feet wide bed with a one-foot wide walking area works well. Even better, surround the soil with 2" by 12" long wooden planks. Make sure the wood preservative used is non-toxic.