Learn how to prepare soil for vegetable garden to have a bountiful and successful harvest.
How to Prepare Soil for Vegetable Garden
Proper soil preparation when growing vegetables is the key to successful and bountiful harvest but if you neglect to do this, it can greatly hinder the cultivation of demanding plants.
Ideal Soil for Growing Vegetables
Every garden has different soil type and if it is not according to the ideal soil type recommended for growing vegetables it needs to be amended.
The ideal soil for growing vegetables should be neither too light nor too compacted, it should be crumbly and have a balanced texture. Airy and permeable, but at the same time, it has the capacity to retain the water.
Soil must be fertile and rich in organic matter. It must not be too light, sandy or heavy clay. If you have similar soil structure – you’re lucky, otherwise, you have to work on it.
How to improve soil structure?
It is not a rocket science, to improve soil structure you have to add a lot of organic matter. The addition of compost, well-rotted manure, humus, leaf mold or any other organic matter in the heap will do this.
Amending Clay-rich soil
Compacted soil have a large proportion of clay and you need to loosen it to improve its permeability.
Add coarse sand to a clay soil, this will instantly lighten it. In heavy clay-rich soil, add well-rotted cow or horse manure in bulk to improve its texture.
Amending Sandy soil
If you have sandy soil, addition of organic matter will improve its ability to retain moisture. It will also provide constant nutrients to plants.
When is the best time to prepare soil for vegetable garden
You can prepare the soil anytime. However, the best time to prepare soil is spring when the soil is workable and not frozen.
Clay-rich soils are best prepared in fall (autumn). For this, you’ll need to dig up the site deeply (about 12-15 inches deep is enough) and incorporate manure in it (50:50 is great).
Do not level the soil. The soil left on the ground will be exposed to frost and rain, this will provide a desirable crumbly form to the heavy soil and help in improving its texture.
How to prepare soil for vegetable garden: A few tips
- An addition of rotted manure is the finest way to improve the structure of any kind of soil.
- For a very light sandy soil or too heavy clay soil that is not workable and in such a state that it is not suitable for growing vegetables, then it is best to use raised beds.
Where do I find sand for my garden? The packages of sand that I find at Lowes and Home Depot all have a warning on them that they contain toxic chemicals; so these are not suitable for gardening.
You can also use river sand, which is also called construction sand.