Prepping Seeding Beds: Part 1

Part 1

It’s almost time to start prepping your garden beds. The days are starting to get warmer, the sun is shining longer and leaves are just beginning to pop out. As a gardener, nothing feels more like spring to me than getting my beds in order for transplanting. Bed preparation is extremely important for the overall success of your garden. Whether it is a new garden plot or an existing one, there are a number of things you can do to promote a healthy, productive garden. First of all, when trying to determine where your garden will be and how to prep it consider a soil test. Many land grant institutions and universities provide soil testing services for a small fee. Soil tests are quick and easy tests that can provide the pH, nutrient profile and soil type of your location. You can also have your soil tested for lead, which in urban gardens, can be a problem particularly when growing root crops.  In MI, soil testing is available through the Michigan State University Soil testing facility.

Last year's garden bed waiting to be cleaned out

When getting beds ready for spring, the most important thing to remember is patience. Working your soil before it is ready will result in compacted plots and/or chunky soil. If you grab a handful of soil and it retains its shape after you let go of it, the soil is too wet. As a bulletin from Utah State University says “Test this way: take a handful of soil from a 3 inch depth. Squeeze it firmly in the hand. Drop it on a side-walk. Unless the ball shatters, do not try to rototill.” If it’s a new bed however, there are a few things you can do while waiting for it to dry out enough to till. Perennial weeds such as grasses or Creeping Charlie can quickly overrun a new garden if not properly removed. If removing grass, the sod in addition to the roots should be removed to minimize regrowth. Weeds can be removed by hand or you can use an herbicide such as Roundup. Roundup degrades quickly in the soil and should have no effect on your seedlings when you transplant in a few weeks. If applying an herbicide, only apply when the temperature is ~50 °F or higher. Herbicides work best when weeds are actively growing. 
        Wait until the weeds are removed or dead (7-10 days if using an herbicide) before tilling up the area. If possible, allow the tilled beds to sit for a week or two prior to planting. Many weed seeds require light to germinate, and tilling provides that needed light. After a week or two you can use another application of Glyphosate (Roundup) to kill off the new weeds. Alternatively, you can always hand weed them as well.

Contributing sources:

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/perennials/bedprep.cfm

http://easttexasgardening.tamu.edu/tips/land/newGardenBed07.html

http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/county/countyallen.html

http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HG_H_01.pdf