Getting the garden "just right"

I was reminded this weekend about why having an early garden requires more thought than work.

We have new neighbors. They moved in during the autumn. When spring came they decided they want to garden. They didn’t like the previous owner’s plot so they threw up some pressure treated lumber and hauled in some dirt. I would consider their action probably rather typical of the average homeowner.

First problem - no soil test. I would have probably gardened there a year first to see what happened before I undertake a big project. An early gardener would have the soil test done so they know exactly what nutrients are needed so as not to stunt or hold back the plants from producing quickly. Don’t amend until you know what you have.

Second problem - building a big box. Usually beds are a good idea, but one big bed isn’t any fun. It is impossible to reach across and too easy to compact when walking on it. Especially if you are working in the early spring when it is likely to be wet. You need room for a place to walk in between rows. You may be better off with many smaller boxes the size of a row. Less work is required to keep the dirt in each box in great shape.

Third problem - no tilling the old soil before adding topsoil. Of course you are going to dump dirt into that nice new box, but what’s the point? Adding 6 - 12 inches of topsoil does no good if there is a hard pan underneath it. This will make it hard for most plant roots to penetrate deeply to look for nutrients. Instead all plants will have roots that spread and compete for the same nutrients requiring the gardener to be more aware of nutrient deficiencies. I would personally till up the soil before putting down topsoil and then try to compact it as little as possible.

Fourth problem - filling the new garden ’box’ to 3/4 full with topsoil. That’s a really big job for a “big box” garden. That’s ok, but topsoil is not much good by itself. If you are going through the trouble of building the fancy box and spending the money and time on hauling dirt then add some organic matter to the dirt. You’ll want to mix in some good compost or manure. Ask someone locally what they think but the ratio is usually around 40% compost to 60% topsoil.

Fifth problem - not watering the topsoil before gardening. That topsoil is going to need to settle. I’ve discovered that purchased topsoil where we live doesn’t drain well. It pools water on top. The neighbors watered 3 hours after planting and two remarkable things happened. One, the water wound up in our yard. Not through dripping water, but literally coming up from under the ground. This has to do with that hardpan. The water pretty much drained between the topsoil and the hardpan. Two, holes started showing up in the dirt. As the dirt started to settle pockets of air started showing up. Two important things will happen in this scenario. The topsoil will fail to hold water and it will wash right underneath the box and out onto the ground beside it. You need to have that organic matter to hold the water so you don’t have to water every day. Don’t forget to mix up the dirt and topsoil and water it to settle before planting.

Sixth problem - planting immediately after filling the box. Consider not planting a garden the first year at all. Try a cover crop. Seed the whole garden - a garden full of living compost. Something like alfalfa is great to help work deep and penetrate that hard pan underneath. The green on top should be chopped off and the whole works tilled in, possibly in autumn. This will give some time to decompose before spring planting. Depending on your topsoil quantity and amount of compost added this step may not be required. If nothing else, you’ll have a fabulous soil to plant in come springtime - full of rich organic matter and nutrients.

Lastly, no matter what you’ve done up until now, get that soil test done. If I did the cover crop and tilled it in I would get the soil test done in the spring. Even though you have some nice organic matter you may still be lacking required nutrients for all around plant health. A soil test in the spring will give you one last chance to get it right before you plant. You can then add amendments and till it all up and you’ll have a soil your neighbors can be envious of.

Having an early garden is pretty easy to do but you have to remember the very basic and first foundation step - a good soil. It doesn’t matter whether your soil is clay or sand, just a little bit of compost, a soil test and some amendment is all you need for a great gardening season, and an early garden harvest.