How to Prepare Soil for Vegetable Gardens
With the return of the victory garden concept and an increased interest in organic food, vegetable gardening is quickly becoming a very popular hobby. Growing vegetables in the home garden is not only rewarding but it is quite easy. Make sure that the spot you choose for the garden will receive at least eight hours of sun per day and doesn't have any low spots. Plan the garden with your convenience in mind so that you aren't stepping over one plant to get to another. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Water
- Shovel
- Fertilizer
- Gardening fork
- Sandy loam top soil
- Compost
- pH meter
- Soil amendments to adjust the pH of the soil, if needed
Instructions
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1
Remove any debris and old plants and weeds from the garden.
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2
Test the soil's moisture content to ensure it is ready to be worked. Grab a handful of soil and close your fist. When you open it, if the soil remains in a clod, it is too moist. If, when you open your hand the soil turns dusty, it is too dry. The soil should remain in somewhat of a ball but fall apart when you poke it. If the soil is too wet, wait until it has dried a bit to work with it. If the soil is too dry, water it well and allow it to drain for two to three days.
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3
Dig up the soil to a depth of at least 10 inches, breaking up any large clods of dirt with the shovel and removing any roots and rocks.
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4
Add 4 lbs. of fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of soil. The fertilizer can be a commercial 10-10-10 formula or well-rotted manure. Mix this in well with the existing soil using a gardening fork.
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Spread 1 inch of sandy loam and 2 to 3 inches of compost over the soil and mix it in well. Water the soil well.
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6
Wait until the soil is dry and test the pH. This can be done with an inexpensive pH testing meter purchased at a garden or home improvement store. You can also take a soil sample to your cooperative extension office and ask them to test it for you.
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Decide which vegetable crops you will be growing. Vegetables vary on their pH requirements. If your soil is too alkaline, you can lower the pH by adding sulfur, peat moss or cottonseed meal. If the soil is too acidic you can raise the pH by adding bone meal or lime. The amount you will need to add will depend upon the pH you are aiming for and the current pH of the soil.
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