Soil Preparation for Planting

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Soil Preparation for Planting
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• As our spring days become warmer and warmer, now
  is the time to think about soil preparation for
  your garden. So before you get out there and
  start shoveling or tilling the soil consider the
  following when you should start working the
  soil.
• Too Early
• Clumps. That is what happens when you start to
  work the soil too early.

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• When the ground is still saturated with water
  from melting snow or spring rain, turning the
  soil over will give clumps that will be difficult
  to break down at a later time. Wet soil doesnt
  break up into loose and fine particles of dirt
  that create miniscule air pockets perfect for
  plant roots to grow in.

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• Dried Yet?
• You can get a moisture reader which is
  expensive, but the surefire way is a much simpler
  and youll know whether or not the soil has dried
  out enough to be worked on. Grab a handful of
  soil (the size of a baseball) and squeeze the
  soil together until it forms a ball.

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• If the dirt can be crumbled by pressing your
  fingers together or dropping it from table
  height, then youve got soil that is dry enough
  to start digging. If the ball of dirt maintains
  it shape or breaks into solid sections rather
  than loose soil, there is still too much water in
  the dirt.

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• Mississauga Soil
• Approximately 60 of Mississaugas soil being
  clay, here are some pointers that will help you
  understand the soil in your yard
• Heavy clay soil At 75 to 100 moisture, the
  clay soil is too wet, it is dark in color and
  feels slick when rubbed between thumb and
  forefinger. The soil will be completely pliable
  and you can draw with it. A ball will form
  moisture content is less than 50.

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• Coarse clay soil This soil is more of a sandy
  loam or silt loam. At 50 moisture, you can
  probably form a ball and will tend to crumble. At
  75 to 100 moisture it will be similar to a
  heavy clay soil.
• Coarse sandy soil A ball will not form at less
  than 50 moisture. At 75 to 100 moisture, a
  weak ball can be form but shatter easily.

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• The RIGHT soil
• Having the right soil can greatly affect the
  quality of your plants. Soil composition should
  be balanced, well-drained, fertile and with a pH
  (acidity level) between 6 and 7.  If the soil is
  too acidic, add some lime.

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• If you have sandy soil where there is not enough
  organic matter OR if you have clay soil which is
  too heavy and compact, you need to add decomposed
  manure or compost to help improve soil structure
  and composition while providing the nutrients
  required by the plants.
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