DevelopedbyDr.MarioA.Villarino,CountyExtensionAgentforAgricultureandNaturalResourcesHopkinsCounty, Texas

The mission of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is to provide quality, relevant outreach and continuing educational programs and services to the people of Texas. Extension educates Texans in the areas of agriculture, environmental stewardship, youth and adult life skills, human capital and leadership, and community economic development. The agency improves the lives of Texans through an educational process that uses research-based knowledge focused on issues and needs. Because of the broad range of needs, priorities and learning styles, extension personnel use several educational tools to educate people. Using mass media (i.e. this publication) helps extension professional educate many people in a subject very quickly. As our communities get more involved in rural activities and where our food comes from, many get interested in Gardening. Gardening is, in the way I see it, the primer of agriculture. Because of its simple start up process, easy access to varieties and their seeds, gardening offers a wide variety of experiences shared with other sectors of agriculture. And, at the core of gardening rest the soil. The soil is a storehouse for all the elements plants need to grow: nutrients, organic matter, air, and water. Soil also provides support for plant roots. When properly prepared and cared for, soil can be improved each year and will continue to grow plants forever. Uncared for soil will soon become suited only for growing weeds. Texas gardeners must work with many different soils. Some are very sandy, some are sticky clay, and others are rocky and shallow. Sandy soils do not hold enough water; in windy areas, blowing sand can injure vegetables. Clay soils hold too much water and do not allow enough air to enter the soil. Vegetables need a deep and well-drained soil with adequate organic matter. Good garden soil with proper moisture will not form a hard ball when squeezed in the hand. It should crumble easily. The soil should be tilled as deeply as possible, at least 8 to 10 inches. Deep tilling loosens soil and lets vegetable roots go deeper. Turn each shovelful of soil completely over. Till soil when it is moist but not wet. Working soil when it is too wet can cause it to become rough. Spade the soil in the winter to prepare for spring planting. Winter temperatures and moisture help mellow soil. This is especially important if the soil is being worked for the first time. Add organic matter each year during soil preparation to build and maintain the soil. Be sure all plant material is turned under the soil. If organic material is added before planting a fall garden, it should be well-rotted, such as compost. Before planting, rake the soil clean and level it. Remove all sticks, rocks and other material. Allow water to drain away from plant roots the soil several months before planting to allow it time to decompose. Most gardeners do this during the winter. Manure: Use composted manure and incorporate it into the soil well ahead of planting. Do not use fresh manure, as it can damage plants and introduce diseases. Apply 30 to 40 pounds of composted manure for every 100 square feet. Compost consists of de-cayed plant materials. Work it into the soil before planting. Sawdust: Compost this before adding it to the garden. Do not use un-composted sawdust because it will rob the soil of nitrogen and, consequently, starve the plants of this essential nutrient .Green manure: Plant rye or oats in the fall and plow or spade it under in the spring. These cannot be used if a fall garden is planted. Do not add more than a 4-inch layer of organic material. Most heavy clay soils benefit from the addition of gypsum. It adds some nutrients but, more importantly, it loosens clay soils and makes it more workable. Spread about 3 to 4 pounds of gypsum per 100 square feet over garden soil after it has been dug in the winter. Work it into the soil or allow it to be washed in by rain. Add sand and organic matter to clay soil to make it more workable. Mix 2 inches of clean sand and 3 inches of organic matter, such as leaves, with the soil. Do this during the winter season. Use a shovel or rake to pull the soil up into beds 8 to 10 inches high. Pack beds or allow them to settle before planting. Also level the tops of the beds and widen them to about 6 to 8 inches before planting. Plant on top of the beds. After completing the steps required to properly prepare the soil for planting, gardening might seem anything but easy. But with proper soil preparation, gardening will get easier every year.

For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [emailprotected].

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The Mission of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service by Mario Villarino - KSST