BED PREPARATION PER 100 SQUARE FEET
- Check the soil moisture. The soil should be evenly
moist to facilitate digging, but not saturated. If needed,
water the area to be dug. For hard, dry clays that have
not ever been cultivated, this may mean up to 2 hours
with a sprinkler. Begin next steps when soil is evenly
moistened. - Loosen 12 inches of soil with a spading fork, and
remove any plant cover. - Check soil moisture and water again if necessary. If
your soil has particularly large clods, consider waiting
several days and let nature help do the work. The
warm sun, cool nights, wind, and water will help
break down the clods. Water the bed lightly every day
to aid the process.
OPTIONAL (ONE TIME): At this time, sand may be
added to a bed with a clayey soil, or clay to a bed with
sandy soil, to improve texture. Normally you should
add no more than ½ inch (4 cubic feet) of sand or
clay. (More sand may allow water-soluble fertilizers to
percolate down too rapidly.) Mix the sand or clay
thoroughly into the loosened 12 inches of soil with a
spading fork. OPTIONAL (ONE TIME): If the soil is
poor (very sandy or very clayey), add on a one-time-
only basis up to a ½-inch layer (8 cubic feet) of
compost or aged manure.
Remove the soil from the upper part of the first trench