Rocks are the original basis of all soils, and according to the degree of fineness to which they have been reduced, through centuries of decomposition by air, moisture and frost, they are known as gravelly, sandy or clayey soils.
Unless your garden is a very small one indeed, it will pay to have it plowed rather than dug up by hand. If necessary, arrange the surrounding fence to make possible the use of a tools for plowing and harrowing.
If however the breaking up of the garden must be done by hand, have it done quite deeply down to the sub-soil and have it done thoroughly every spadeful turned completely and every inch dug. It is hard work, but it must not be slighted.
Only by supply of good quality humus your garden will have the chance to be kept in that light, friable, spongy condition which is absolutely essential to luxuriant vegetable growth.
Large tracts of soil that are almost pure sand, and others so heavy and mucky that for centuries they lay uncultivated, have frequently been brought, in the course of only a few years, to where they yield annually tremendous crops on a commercial basis. So do not be discouraged about your soil. Proper treatment of it is much more important, and a garden- patch of average run-down, or "never-brought-up" soil, will produce much more for the energetic and careful gardener than the richest spot will grow under average methods of cultivation.
~ www.knowledgefun.com
Whether you are an avid gardener or just starting out, the idea of creating a garden using organic methods can seem overwhelming at first. But organic gardening is less daunting than you may think if you understand some basic principles and can be done right in your own backyard.
There are many reasons why today, more than ever before, every owner of a small place should have his, or her, own garden. The old days of home meat producing, cheese-making, and traditional cooking are gone. The growing of healthy organic vegetables and fruits that taste great cannot be so easy disposed of.
Most things, in the course of development, change from the simple to the complex. The art of gardening has in many ways been an exception to the rule. The methods of culture used for many crops are more simple than those in vogue a generation ago. The last twenty years has seen also a tremendous...
