Prepping Hard Ground

[DancingLady]

Some of the ground I plan to use next year hasn't had much attention for quite a long time. It's actually really hard and needs a lot of work to soften it up. What is the best way to get ground like this ready for spring planting?

 

[Chuck]

Some of the ground I plan to use next year hasn't had much attention for quite a long time. It's actually really hard and needs a lot of work to soften it up. What is the best way to get ground like this ready for spring planting?

Cover with good compost and water in with molasses, water and liquid humus or humate. Water the area numerous times between now and then. Not only will the soil be much softer and easier to work it will also be fairly fertile

 

[headfullofbees]

If you get a frost, the trick is to turn it over, incorporating all Chuck's ingredients before winter, and let frost break it down.

Hire a rotovator.

 

[DancingLady]

I can't hire a rotovator, that would be wonderful but it's not in the budget I do have molasses on hand as well as coffee grounds every day, which I hear are also good. I will try watering with molasses and do the best I can to turn it over. Fortunately it rained a few days ago, so hopefully that did some of the softening for me.

 

[Chuck]

I can't hire a rotovator, that would be wonderful but it's not in the budget I do have molasses on hand as well as coffee grounds every day, which I hear are also good. I will try watering with molasses and do the best I can to turn it over. Fortunately it rained a few days ago, so hopefully that did some of the softening for me.

Down here in Texas molasses is used to revitalize and soften up farmland that has been depleted of organic matter by the continued use of chemical fertilizers and over grazing. The correct amount of molasses is 4 gallons per acre every 45 days. If you go to a good nursery you can find liquid humus or humate. It is not expensive. I just bought some for my compost tea and it cost $5.79 a quart. If you have a hose end sprayer set it for 2 oz per gallon for both molasses and liquid humus and just spray it about once a month getting the ground fairly wet with it. You will be surprised come spring at the job it does

 

[Kansas Terri]

I live on a heavy clay soil, and tilling the soil does not soften it UNLESS I till in leaves and such! Otherwise the tilled soil will LOOK soft, but a few rainfalls will pack it down again unless I ALSO turn under vegetation!

Moisture and turning under grass clippings and such does help my heavy soil, because the fiber in the plants prevents the soil from getting packed down when it rains. I do sometimes rototil the soil when there are weeds on it but that both kills the weeds and turns them under. Most of the improvement of the soil seems to come from turning the existing vegetation under, not from mechanically breaking the soil up.

 

[Chuck]

I live on a heavy clay soil, and tilling the soil does not soften it UNLESS I till in leaves and such! Otherwise the tilled soil will LOOK soft, but a few rainfalls will pack it down again unless I ALSO turn under vegetation!

Moisture and turning under grass clippings and such does help my heavy soil, because the fiber in the plants prevents the soil from getting packed down when it rains. I do sometimes rototil the soil when there are weeds on it but that both kills the weeds and turns them under. Most of the improvement of the soil seems to come from turning the existing vegetation under, not from mechanically breaking the soil up.

Yep, what you have is what we call here in Texas is called Blackland Clay. A great soil but usually lacking in organic material. It has good mineral content but not much if any organic content. Adding any type of cellulose will make the soil much more arable and adding carbohydrates/sugars will add to the rapid decomposition of what organic matter there is thus increasing the fertility

 

[Kansas Terri]

Yep, what you have is what we call here in Texas is called Blackland Clay. A great soil but usually lacking in organic material. It has good mineral content but not much if any organic content. Adding any type of cellulose will make the soil much more arable and adding carbohydrates/sugars will add to the rapid decomposition of what organic matter there is thus increasing the fertility

I really like it! It holds moisture better than a sandy soil does, and we get enough rain in Kansas to prevent the soil from drying out so badly it turns to concrete!

Well,actually August can be that dry. We get very little rain in August. I just have to give extra water around the month of August, and then the soil is very reliable!

I never thought of adding sugar or molasses to it!

 

[Chuck]

I really like it! It holds moisture better than a sandy soil does, and we get enough rain in Kansas to prevent the soil from drying out so badly it turns to concrete!

Well,actually August can be that dry. We get very little rain in August. I just have to give extra water around the month of August, and then the soil is very reliable!

I never thought of adding sugar or molasses to it!

Yes, if you turn in any type of organic matter like leaves, clippings or compost and add a sugar like molasses it does wonders and it doesn't take long to do it. Once the sugars are in the soil the micro organisms start to multiply and thus enhance the ability of the plants to uptake needed nutrients

 

[headfullofbees]

Builders gypsum breaks down clay a treat and will help you to work in that organic matter.
When I started gardening, I had at least six feet of clay covering 2 inches of soil.