Before we jump into the assessment of garden soil, let’s be clear, no-till gardening methods enhance the health and vitality of your soil. In the meantime, use this linked article to assess your soil health using five simple methods. Since it was written before no-till gardening became a thing, I’ll have a post on the subject next week.

Before you plant your garden this spring, consider doing these five easy tests to learn more about your garden soil. 

5 Easy Ways to Assess Your Soil for Gardening

Before spring bursts upon us in a surge of tilling, sprouting, and planting, now is a great time for some quiet consideration of the upcoming growing season.  In addition to poring over seed catalogues and making sketches detailing relative locations of radishes and pole beans, new gardeners may overlook the importance of first understanding their soil.  You can start with some quick methods which cost nothing and require only a few basic tools.  As soon as the ground is thawed enough to sink in a trowel, you can perform these hands-on experiments.  Knowing more about your particular corner of earth only takes a few minutes, but gives you insights which set the stage for your most bountiful harvest. Read more