How to Plow a Garden for Growing Vegetables
To plow for a vegetable garden, you should consider the time of year, the plow you will use and how you will enrich the soil. Plowing an established garden for growing vegetables begins at the end of a growing season, whereas a new garden can be established before or during the growing season. For a new vegetable garden, the sod can be turned over, allowing for the decomposition of any plant material to provide nutrients for the garden. Established gardens, on the other hand, require compost. You should also determine the kind of plow that you will use, such as a hand-pushed and a motorized plow. For any plow, the blades must be sharp for effective plowing. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Determine the direction the vegetable garden is to be plowed. This can be decided by looking at your intended garden area. If there is a hill or slope, then the rows will be plowed horizontally across the land. This prevents water from running down the hill and washing away the soil.
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Look at the area and see if there are any animals living there. If so, remove them. Also remove rocks, roots and any trash.
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Test the soil to determine what needs to be added. You should add the necessary nutrients before you plow.
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Measure out the spacing for the garden rows. Mark the measurements with sticks at each row end. The types of vegetables that you will plant will determine the spacing of the rows.
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Plow the garden along the row measurements, going no deeper than 12 inches. Again, check for rocks, roots and trash. The soil should now be of a fine texture with no large dirt balls and with the rocks removed. Don't plow if the soil is so wet that it sticks together in clumps.
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Tips & Warnings
For larger gardens, a tractor or horse drawn plow will make plowing easier. Plow 1 to 2 inches deep between the rows during the growing season, unless mulch is used to keep weeds down.
