Preparing the soil for direct-seeding

Preparing the soil for direct-seeding
Soil preparation is the key to successful planting.
The first step is to dig up and turn over the soil to a
depth of eight to 12 inches—hard work, but a good
way to spend a crisp, early spring day. It's important
that the soil is neither too wet nor too dry when you
dig. Soil that's too wet will compact or form into large
clumps that will be so hard when they dry out that
nothing short of a sledgehammer will break them. If
the soil is too dry, the topsoil will just blow away.
Before you get into a good day's digging, pick up a
handful of soil and squeeze it; if it forms into a ball
that will hold together, yet crumbles easily, the soil is
ready to work.
Adding organic matter. Organic matter enriches
the soil and improves its ability to control moisture, so
add organic matter in the spring to benefit the new
season's crop. If you planted a green manure or cover
crop in the fall to protect the topsoil, dig it all back
into the soil now as organic matter. Do the same if you
laid mulch over the soil instead of planting a cover
crop; dig the mulch in as you turn the soil. You can
also dig in compost that has been simmering nicely
all winter.
Fertilizing. You should fertilize your vegetable
garden twice a year. As part of your spring soil
preparation, dig in a complete, well-balanced
fertilizer (10-10-10 or a similar formulation) at the rate
of one pound per 100 square feet or 10 pounds per
1,000 square feet. Work the fertilizer^venly into the
soil. This application will keep your plants supplied
with nutrients until about halfway through the
growing season. Then you'll apply the same
fertilizer at the same rate, but instead of spreading it
over the whole area you'll side-dress by distributing
the fertilizer in trenches between the rows of plants.
Removing obstacles. When you're preparing the
soil, remove all stones, rocks, and lumps, and all the
assorted debris that has accumulated over the
winter. This is especially important if you're planting
root crops, because they'll fork and split if they
have to contend with large obstacles; but all seeds do
better in well-worked soil. Just before planting,
rake the seedbeds smooth and level off the surface by
drawing the back of your rake across the soil.