Lawns and Gardens
Soil Preparation is Key When Beginning a Vegtable Garden
By Ryan Mitchell
Jun 11, 2006, 00:35

(NC)-Are you tired of paying too much for vegetables at your local supermarket? If so, and you have a small plot of land, why not start your own vegetable garden?

When preparing a vegetable garden you want to be working with moist, fertile soil. Experienced gardeners use the same plot of land year after year. Whether you have a garden you've used in the past or a new spot you'd like to turn into a garden, tilling the soil is a good practice.

Tilling the garden performs a number of necessary functions like mixing organic matter and fertilizer into garden soil and temporarily loosening the soil to help control weeds that compete with seedlings for moisture and nutrients. The Ryobi gas and electric cultivators are perfect for tilling previously untouched soil.

The one-of-a-kind JustAddSand system featured on the Ryobi cultivators allows the user to add up to 13 pounds of sand to act as ballast. Unlike a bulk weight add-on, the sand helps the unit keep on course, digging deep and keeping the unit from skipping or bouncing around while providing greater control to the user. The Ryobi cultivators offer a 10-inch width and is adjustable, allowing users to cultivate depths up to 7 3/4-inches which is good for soil blending, mulching and mixing in fertilizers.

Be careful not to till too frequently though or you are in danger of damaging the structural qualities of the soil. Till garden soil only when it will accomplish some useful purpose, such as turning under organic matter, controlling weeds, breaking crusted soil for water penetration, or loosening a small amount of soil for planting seeds.

The Ryobi gas and electric cultivators are sold exclusively at The Home Depot. For more information visit www.homedepot.ca.

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