Start Of The Planting Season - Time To Start Planting!...Spring Is Here!
by John Yazo
When spring comes around the excitement to start work in the garden starts. The days start warming and all you want to do is be outside after a long winter.
First we have to make sure that the soil is dry enough to work. Wet soil shouldn't be worked. If you take a handful of soil and squeeze it into a ball. If it holds it's shape as a ball then the soil is to wet to work. Trying to work soil hen it is to wet will only hurt the soil structure and it will take longer to repair the soil than it will to wait for it to dry. When you take a handful of soil and squeeze it and it crumbles apart the soil is dry enough to work.
While you are waiting for the soil to dry you can test the soil. Testing the soil will let you know the soils ph level and what you need to do to get the soils ph balanced before you start planting. If the soils ph is out of balance the plants wont be getting the nutrients needed to provide a healthy and productive crop.
Now that the soil is dry enough to work add any amendments that are needed and turn or till your soil. Whatever method you use tilling or spading you should rake the soil and remove any small stones. It is best to plant seeds in a fine soil free of stones.
The first crops that you can start planting are cool season crops like lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and onions. Other crops like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant shouldn't be planted until all dangers of frost have passed. That is usually the middle to the end of May.
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