The Best Methods of Tilling the Soil in Spring
Friday, November 12, 2010 7:45For every gardener, spring is the best time to initiate working on the garden. In the early spring, the best thing to do is start tilling in which it can break up the soil helps eliminating weeds, and aerating the soil. But some gardeners still don’t have any idea when to start tilling neither how frequently tilling is necessary.
The first thing to notice is that tilling wet soil destroys the texture of the soil which should be comprised of different sizes of dirt and matter. Once wet tilled soil has dried, clods of dirt dry and can become as hard as rocks and recovery can be hard and time consuming. Frequent tilling can also damage small creatures such as earthworms; help to turn and rejuvenate the soil reducing the effects these creatures have on the soil can have long-term ecological effects.
Tilling for more than three or four times a year can damage the soil’s texture. The more soil is tilled, the further it breaks down, eventually turning basically into sand. Frequent tilling can also cause the soil to become glazed. Once this happens, you should use a pitch fork or spade to break up the layer of soil that is just beyond the reach of the tines or blade of your tiller.
Yet, certain areas of the garden, however, can benefit from frequent tilling. If you are trying to control a pesky plant problem, such as poison ivy or kudzu, frequent tilling can disrupt seedlings and starve existing weeds of nutrients.
Good soil should contain about 25% air, 25% water, and 50% soil particles and organic matter. When you till the soil then the soil does not get enough oxygen and water. Adding mulch to the soil can be helped to stop the soil from compacting, so it can absorb water and promote the growth of beneficial organisms in the soil by increasing and maintaining a higher soil temperature.