The cultivation of ground for vegetables
 (Read 100+ times)
By Catherine Smith
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Here are several ways to properly prepare your ground to grow vegetables. First it's a good idea to get a soil test. That gives you a better over all picture of which amendments you need to add to bring soil up to optimum growing potential.
You may choose to use a rototiller, either buy one, rent one, or hire someone who has one to till your garden area for you. This is the least labor intensive way of cultivation of your soil.
Once the area is tilled, it's important to get your plants and seed into the ground. If you are delayed at least cover the area with black plastic to prevent weed seeds from germinating. Once you have planted your produce, mulch the area in between the plants and over the seedlings. You can choose just about any type of mulch that is available to you such as grass clippings, shredded leaves, or one of the more traditional mulches. Keeping in mind not to make the layer too deep over your seedlings so they can germinate and grow. Mulch is an excellent and efficient way to help not only control the germination of weeds, but it also conserves moisture and helps keep the soil cooler and more friable.
If you choose not to use a rototiller there is also the no till method of gardening. It's a methodology touted by Patricia Lanza in her Lasagna Gardening books. It's actually a more "controlled" method of composting and consists of layering material over the area in which you wish to plant. Normally you begin by laying down either non-waxed wet cardboard or several layers of wet newspaper (black and white only, please discard the colored advertisements). The cardboard or newspaper acts to smother the grass and weeds out as well as draw earthworms. Then a layer in a mixture of spent coffee grounds, veggie parings, grass clippings, shredded leaves, a layer of peat moss and then start again with the cardboard, newspapers, etc. until you have the pile built to the height you want. Cover that with a 2 inch layer of mulch preferably one that can be moved easily. You can plant directly into it with plants or if you are sowing seeds, put those down before you add the peat moss and /or mulch. The pile will begin to decompose almost immediately and as time passes you will be pleasantly surprised to discover you have tons of earthworms busy working your soil.
A good place to have ready access to quality amendments is build your own compost. This is not rocket science. Anybody can do it, whether you have a compost bin you purchased, or one you make yourself, and the best part is most of the ingredients are free. Compost is made of a layering of both green and brown materials and should include things like grass clippings, shredded newspapers, leaves, spent coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, vegetable parings, the "green" things growing in back of your refrigerator, just no meat or dairy products. They attract unwanted visitors to your pile. Not for noting is compost called "black gold". Finished compost is rich in nutrients and beneficial microorganisms that are wonderful for your soil. And spread over your garden draws earthworms another under valued work horse of the garden.
The key is to continue to improve your soil is to add amendments to it every year. Maintaining a compost bin on a yearly basis is a great idea. You will have a source of on going black gold on a regular basis, by gathering your grass clippings, leaves and using your vegetable wastes. I should warn you that composting is addicting. You'll find your world view will change as you start to see all those lovely potential articles that will contribute to your production of black gold. You will find yourself asking relative, friends and neighbors to collect potential composting refuse so you can make even more. And as time goes on and you continual "feed" your soil, it will become rich, black organic humus, wonderful for planting and harvesting lots of flowers and vegetables.
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Author Bio Box: Catherine Smith
Please visit my site at: http://www.helium.com
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