Use Tiller Sparingly When Preparing Soil

Most people enjoy planting into what garden publications call a well-prepared, loose seedbed.  The well-prepared, loose seedbed gets the seed in contact with soil moisture for good germination.  However, what you do to prepare that seedbed can create major problems later in the growing season, says Dr. Charles Mitchell, an agronomist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

“Most gardeners can’t resist the temptation to crank up the tiller, even when the soil is a little too wet in early spring.  The churning action of the tiller in wet soil results in clods when the soil dries in thick crusts after a rain.”

Fast moving tines on a rear-tined tiller can also create a hardpan beneath topsoil in some Alabama soils. The hard, packed layer of soil just beneath the plowed layer prevents roots from growing into the subsoil.  This can cause plants to wilt prematurely during short-term droughts resulting in decreased yields.

To prevent these problems, Mitchell suggests gardeners follow these simple guidelines:

• Don’t plow when the soil is too wet.  If a ball of soil sticks together when dropped, it’s too wet.

• Try reduced tillage.  Farmers do it.  Plant seed in a narrow strip worked with a hoe or with no tilling at all.  Set transplants directly into the untilled soil.

• Break up existing hardpans with a spade or by double-digging.  Be careful not to mix a clay subsoil with a sandy topsoil.  This makes crusting worse.

• Soil test regularly (every three years) and apply lime as needed.  Lime helps improve soil tilth.

• Use lots of mulch and organic matter to improve soil tilth.  Mulch also reduces weeds, which further reduces the need to cultivate.

• Garden year-round.  By keeping plants growing and weeds controlled, there won’t be a need for heavy tilling in the early spring.  Remove old vegetation and plant a new crop.

Source:  Dr. Charles Mitchell, Agronomist, Soil Fertility, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (334) 855-5489