Knowing how to till your garden can help getting a new plot ready to go. If you have an old plot where weeds and grass have taken root, you may need to till your soil. This will loosen up the dirt allowing air and nutrients to reach your crops, and it will also let you get more of that good nutritious soil and organic matter where your plants need it most. This can be challenging manual work, moreso if you have a large plot. And especially if you’re starting from scratch.
Tilling your Garden
You can get a lot done with some manual tools. A rake and garden hoe might be labour intensive, but may still be necessary with thicker weeds such as thistles with deep-set roots. Combined with a spade and pick, you can get a lot done in a small plot. For any larger areas, you might want to consider using a tiller. This allows you to break up the soil and get it ready for growing. This creates a loose, aerated layer of nutritious soil perfect for planting new seeds or young plants just out of the nursery.
Keeping the Weeds and Pests at Bay
Everyone knows how much work it is to keep weeds at bay. Tilling is a great way to uproot grass and weeds from your plots. Once you’ve tilled the soil, it’s relatively easy to pick up and remove roots to prevent them from returning. Some pests’ larvae may also be present under the soil. By tilling, you help eliminate pests so that your plants can flourish unimpeded.
Till Your Garden to Help Fertilisation
One of the most significant benefits of tilling is that you help break down the soil, making the nutrients more accessible to your plants. By adding compost during the tilling process, those added nutrients are spread into the deeper layers of the soil where your plants’ roots can get at them. Similar to how using a scarifier on your lawn helps remove dead roots and debris and allow air and nutrients to reach your lawn grass.
Till in Spring
Usually, the best time of the year to begin tilling is between March and May. By tilling the soil, you will get your plants off to a good start. They don’t have to battle with other plants, and they don’t have to work hard to get nutrients, develop their roots, or break through the soil.
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