It has been unbelievably wet. No rain for 3 days and the ground is still unworkable. It rained 20 of 30 days in April.
I planted spinach and oregano yesterday (May 3) and zucchini today in our 2nd garden. An old 14×13 six inch thick cement pad is being chopped up with a sledgehammer. Slow, strenuous, sore work but in its place will be an expansion of our garden in our back yard.
Doug
It is tempting to start the vegetable garden as soon as possible. The problem is when the soil is wet. Damp soil has natural drainage with air pores. Tilling the soil in this condition can damage this structure by compacting the air passages. The roots are affected and cannot spread out as easily as when the soil is dry.
The soil forms a crusty layer which is impervious to water…not good. If this happens, the crust must be broken up so air and water can get down to the roots. Wet soil also retains its shape so walking through a wet garden will leave footprints for a long time. Also, good soil clings to your shoes and is removed from where it is needed the most.
Remove debris and leaves on the ground so the sun can dry out the soil. Just be patient.