I live in central Iowa and am anxious to start preparing my garden bed. I plan to roto-till to break up the clay and turn some compost in.
We've had a few days since the ground has been really wet, but I'm wondering if it's still wet but just dry on the top.
It'd be great if I could start now, but I don't want to muck up the roto-tiller (rental) with a lot of wet clay.
Can someone tell me how I can tell if the ground is dry enough to start digging?
2007-03-16 10:17:04 · 5 answers · asked by Sara 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Dirt is too wet if you clump a handful in your hand and it stays clumped. When it is dry enough to dig, you can clump it and when you open your hand it splits open.
Victory Garden is my source for this info. If you dig too soon, the clumps you make with the shovel will stay in that shape and then you are left with lumpy and "I don't want to break apart" soil. Not good.
Wait my friend. it will come.
2007-03-16 11:35:54 · answer #1 · answered by thisbrit 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it extremely is quite thrilling in view that the this stuff are area of historic past. under no circumstances be conscious of what lurks below the soil. even as i replaced into in extreme college I dreamed of digging in a unmarried spot on our acreage and looking out something. i did not do it promptly away yet saved questioning about it. sometime with no longer something more advantageous powerful to do I were given the shovel and dug right down to the precise spot in the dream. After digging a small hollow, I hit something. An old glass patent drugs bottle, with little air bubbles in the glass. And decayed products of Prince Albert tobacco tins. people used to bury their trash that wasn't burnable again 50 or more advantageous years in the past, kept on hauling it to the city dump and paying a fee. i'd like to have a suitable high quality metallic detector and an section to seek for treasure, that should be a great activity for a retired individual.
2016-11-26 00:31:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The thing is if you have wet clay soil, the issue is can you control a rototiller, Thats a monster in wet soil and it is very easy to get hurt
2007-03-16 11:05:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a shovel.
Dig a little.
Check soil for wetness.
Make your decision.
wow, I don't know where I come up with this stuff
2007-03-16 10:25:42 · answer #4 · answered by conventional 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
start digging from where you're at with a good shovel, if not you will be taking longer to finish job.
2007-03-16 10:48:21 · answer #5 · answered by Pink Honey 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋