How to Cultivate a Garden

Hoeing can keep weeds out of the garden.

An important step in garden maintenance is to cultivate the soil. Cultivating a garden involves removing weeds and rearranging the crust of the soil to promote nutrition, as well as water and air penetration to plants. You can cultivate the soil using different tools, working every two weeks and adding fertilizer at the same time. Wear sunblock, a hat, long clothing and gloves.

Things You'll Need

• Fork cultivator
• Garden cushion
• Bucket
• Small shovel
• Hoe
• Garden claw
• Rake
• Mini-tiller

Instructions

1. Work small areas with a fork cultivator. Kneel on a garden cushion. Apply pressure on the fork cultivator, pulling the fork towards you to loosen the roots of the weeds. Pull the weeds out fully by hand and place them in a bucket. Place a longer pole on the fork cultivator to cultivate from a standing position. Place your stronger hand in the middle of the pole and your other hand close to the top.

2. Dig under the area with a small shovel if the weed's roots remain under the soil. Do not disturb the desired plant.

3. Hoe larger areas. Place your stronger hand on the middle of the hoe and the other hand on the top of the pole. Lift the hoe high in the air and swing it downwards. Pull and push the hoe over the area. Remove weeds manually and place them in the bucket.

4. Weed with a garden claw in small gardens. Push the claw and twist from side to side until the soil becomes loose and the weeds uproot.

5. Rake to loosen the soil in rows. Place the tines side of the rake at the edge of the garden and walk backwards with the rake. Push and pull the rake forward and back. Do this until you get to the opposite side of the garden. Repeat in next row. Repeat until you have done all the rows. This will promote better health for the plant and the absence of weeds.

6. Cultivate a bigger garden with a mini-tiller. Start the mini-tiller and push it over the desired areas. Keep its wheels on so it doesn’t double dig, meaning go deeper then the top soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Do this every two weeks or if you feel fit. If you cultivate in excess, you can damage the garden.

• Apply fertilizer to the plants during the cultivation process.

• Test the soil for PH levels. This will help you to determine how much or what kind of soil you should add.

• Do not cultivate more then a couple inches. The loose soil becomes dry faster and leaves the plant without proper nutrients.

• Watch where you walk to avoid compressing the soil.

• Avoid cultivating just after it rains or you’ve watered your plants, or when it is excessively dry. You want damp, moistened soil.

References

• University of Idaho Extension: Horticultural Equipment Management
• NC State University: Weed Control in Vegetable Gardens