Gardener Mike Hibbard points out the best way to make garden beds.
- Good black dirt is not proper gardening soil. Garden soil is composed of silt, loam, clay and sand.
- Never work the soil if it is too wet, as that could change the structure of the soil. Always use this test before digging: Grab a handful of soil and squeeze it to try to form a ball. The ball should not hold its shape. If it stays together in a mudball, then the soil is too wet to be worked. Try again after is has had time to dry.
- A quick way to tell how garden soil is composed is to fill an empty spaghetti jar one-thirds of the way up with soil from the garden bed. Fill the rest of the jar with water. Put the lid on tightly, then shake the jar vigorously, mixing the soil and water. Set the jar down and give it several hours to let the soil and water separate, and the soil will settle to the bottom in layers of silt, loam, clay and sand. Sand is heaviest, so it will settle to the bottom. Clay will be the next layer up, then loam, then silt. An optimum soil for most (but not all) vegetables and flowers is equal parts sand and loam with silt and clay. This will ensure good drainage and aeration. Loam is mainly composed of organic matter that provides water retention and breaks down into nutrients that plants can use.
- Dig a hole at least 20 inches deep in the area in which the garden will be in order to see the structure of the soil.
- The best way to improve a garden bed is to amend the soil with organic matter. These are items such as compost, leaves and grass. Adding organic matter improves the drainage and aeration of the soil.
- Earthworms in the garden are a sign of great soil.
- The simplest and easiest way to improve soil is to garden with raised beds.
Guests Mike Hibbard
Professional Gardener, Bachman's Garden Center
6010 Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55419
Phone: 612-861-7311 or 612-861-7676
Toll-free: 866-222-4626
Website:
www.bachmans.com
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