Garden Soil is Key to Success

Thomas E. Walker
Director, Penn State Learning Center, Lewistown
County Extension Director, Juniata and Mifflin Counties

It has been a very frustrating spring for gardeners in the Juniata Valley.  All of the rain has made it very difficult to work in our garden’s soil.  Personally, I really don’t enjoy gardening in mud.  This is very frustrating because the success of a garden is directly related to the quality of your garden soil.

Vegetable plants grow best in a fertile, well-drained soil of loamy texture.  Sandy loam soils, well supplied with organic matter are easily worked and are quite productive.  However, most gardeners in the Juniata Valley do not have the luxury of this type of soil in their vegetable gardens.

To obtain a desirable soil for your garden, consider the following areas of concern: water drainage, moisture condition at the time of working, texture and structure, fertility and pH. 

Vegetables cannot grow on poorly drained soil.  If you have a drainage problem one solution is to install four inch drain tile.  This solution is not practical for most home gardeners.  However, surface drainage is very important.  The surface should be graded so the excess water will be removed quickly, in a controlled manner not to cause erosion.  Leveling will eliminate pockets and low spots where the water tends to stand.   For most gardens in the Juniata Valley the best solution is to add organic matter in the form of compost.  This is an easy way to improve drainage and aeration to the clay soils in this area.  Another option which I like to use to control drainage in the vegetable garden is to grow my vegetable in raised beds. Raised beds are great for controlling moisture and weeds. 

To make sure you are not getting into your garden soil too early, while it is still too wet, you need to check to see if the soil is sufficiently dry to a crumble state when you work it.  The soil squeeze test is a great way to determine if the soil is ready to work.  With a spade turn over a slice of soil about 6 inches deep.  Pick up a handful of soil and squeeze it.  If the soil remains in a tight ball when pressure is released wait for several rainless days before you till the garden site.  If the soil crumbles when pressure is released it is ready for working.  Soils high in clay content are easily damaged if worked wet. 

Soil texture and structure can be modified by using soil conditioners.  Soil conditioners act to improve soil aeration, drainage, moisture holding capacity and tilth of the soil.  Commonly used soil conditioners include compost, peat moss, composted sawdust, composted wood chips, animal composted manure, green manure cover crops, coarse sand, and perlite.  By incorporating coarse rather than fine sand and organic matter into a garden soil the gardener can over time produce a desirable loamy type of soil.  

A common mistake made when attempting to improve garden soils is failing to use enough soil conditioning materials.  For chiefly clay soils large amounts of conditioner must be added to effectively improve the texture and structure of your garden soil.