New Garden Year!

St Patrick’s Day is the traditional day to get a garden started, and American gardeners are definitely in the mood to get their hands dirty. For those in the south, the garden should already be tilled and composted ready for the new garden year. In the north you are probably still dealing with hard frosty ground, but thinking about the garden. In the middle zones we are just now starting to see the ground again. One general guide to whether your garden is ready for working is to pick up a small handful of soil and squeeze it. If the soil clumps like dough then you are probably in good shape. If you get a squishy mess running through your fingers then you are too early.

As soon as the ground is workable, it is important to assess the health of the soil. Ideally the soil should be friable and break into small pea size pieces when crumbled. Big clumps that stick together are a sign that you have a clay problem. This is a very common problem over much of the continent, especially the eastern half. The clay forms a barrier to water and a large enough piece of clay will waterlog the area above it. Clay particles are very small and cling together forcing air out and preventing water from passing through it. To make the soil workable, you need to amend with composts that will help break the clay pockets into small pieces and thus let the area drain well. Other materials can also be used to ensure that the clay is broken up, including perlite and manures. Ideally you would have put these amendments on last fall, but as most American gardeners probably didn’t think about the garden last fall, it can still be effective now. In heavy clay, consider splitting your compost (my favorite amendment) into two parts. Till one half of the compost into the soil to loosen the clay and help with drainage; put the second half directly on top of the garden and plant in that. The addition of mulch to the top of the bed will also help loosen the soil over the next few months.

Some areas of the north have the opposite problem to clay – they have sandy soil. A high sand composition is composed of large sand particles. These allow water to pass through unheeded and thus the topsoil is left as dry as a beach in the summer. Amending this soil with the same components for clay will let the finer compost particles fill in some of the air pockets in the sand and will help retain the water for the plant roots.

It is also helpful to till the soil well so that any large rocks and pebbles are taken out. Some gardeners like to use the larger rocks from the garden as an edging or for accent. If left in the garden, they will stop the roots growing down into the subsoil. This is particularly important for root crops such as parsnips and carrots, where we like to have long tapered roots.

If you really have problem soils and want to plant this season, consider using raised beds. Surround an area with bricks or plants and fill the center with good quality soil. Make sure that the bed is deep enough for your needs. Eventually the subsoil will be amended sufficiently to produce and even deeper soil for your produce or flowers.

With a well amended soil, all American gardens and gardeners can look forward to a great garden season!

©Text and photograph by Kate Copsey, March, 2006. Reproduction without permission prohibited.