Published: April 06, 2008 12:25 am            

It's alive 04-06-08

Every spring gardeners and farmers alike look for the optimum time to till their soil.

Be it shovel by shovel or with a large cultivator, timing tilling is more than just waiting for a sunny day.

Healthy plants begin with healthy soil. All life is dependent on air and water for growth and ultimate survival.

Soil is no different. Organic matter creates beneficial air spaces in the soil. Since carbon dioxide and water are the building blocks light uses in the process of photosynthesis, plants in our gardens rely on us to insure these elements are available.

Air is touted by some as a complete fertilizer being 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent other gases.

Soil that lacks organic matter has a reduced ability to exchange air at the surface of the soil and allow the roots to breathe.

In our clay soils, addition of organic matter is essential. Even distribution of the organic medium depends on how wet the ground is when you begin tilling.

Think of the times you’ve turned a shovel of soil and had the dirt stick to the shovel. The air spaces in the soil are saturated with water.

Digging and turning now will only increase compaction of your soil.

Annual or semiannual additions of composted pine, pecan hulls, cotton burr compost or other organic matter to soil will, over time, create the dark, crumbly soil plant roots love, and tilling will become easier and easier.

I like to vary the material I add. Sharp edges of pecan hulls break down slowly and make big air spaces; shredded leaves decompose quickly with less aeration.

Variety helps to bring the long term results of a well-textured soil. Quantity will differ with soil types.

Extremely wet areas, in spite of organic matter, may be suitable only for marginal water plants.

Digging a hole one day after a rain can become a mini perk test. Dig the depth of two shovels and see if the hole starts backfilling with water.

If it does (or you hear suction when you pull the shovel out), you will likely have problems with all but water-tolerant plants.

Two days of saturation will make most trees and shrubs struggle. If this is an area where you want a privacy fence or shade tree, be versatile and choose your plants accordingly.

Happy Tilling!

LeeAnn Barton can be e-mailed at leeannbarton@sbcglobal.net.

        

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