Soil in the path is subject to compaction; soil in the bed remains loose.One simple way to determine whether our soil has
good structure follows. Squeeze a sample of reasonably
moist soil +rmly in your hand. Then open your hand. If
the soil falls apart easily, it does not have good structure.
If it holds the shape of your hand even when you press it
gently with the +ngers of your other hand, it does not
have good structure. If the soil breaks apart into small
clumps when you press it with your +ngers, it probably
has good structure.
When surface cultivation is used, compost made
without soil will be used because soil will not be
removed from the bed during the soil preparation
process. Whenever the lower soil becomes compacted,
the bed may be double-dug again to encourage
reestablishment of a well-aerated structure.
Remember that structure is di)erent from texture. The
texture is determined by its basic ingredients: silt, clay,
and sand particles. The soil structure is the way these
ingredients hold together. With your assistance, sticky
“threads” exuded by microbial life and the roots
produced by the plants help to loosen a clay soil and