Horticulture : News
DATE: April 12, 2010
HARDIN COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
201 Peterson Drive
Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701-9370
BY: Amy Aldenderfer
County Extension Agent for Horticulture
Soil Compaction Creates Unfriendly Garden Site
Soil compaction creates an unfriendly growing environment for plants and is a serious problem for many home gardeners. However, it is relatively easy to prevent.
Compaction transforms soil into a difficult environment for plant growth by making it harder for roots, water and soil to penetrate the ground. Major causes are working the soil when it is too wet, foot traffic and excessive rototiller use.
To reduce this problem, it is best to avoid working in the garden or walking in it when the soil is too wet. Squeeze a handful of soil and if it forms a muddy ball, rather than crumbling when you open your hand, stay out of the garden area.
Walk between plants and rows in the garden area to reduce compaction in primary plant growth areas.
Excessive rototiller use destroys soil structure and promotes compaction. When compaction takes place in a dense soil structure, it also makes root growth more difficult.
A little hand hoeing, rather than a rototiller, may be all you need to do to eliminate a few weeds. It usually causes less soil damage than repeated rototilling and is less harmful to the earthworms that help aerate the soil.
You also can use mulch to control weeds instead of tilling. A two- to three-inch layer of mulch relieves the pressure of walking on the soil, reducing the degree of compaction.
Contact me at the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service (270.765-4121) for more gardening information.
Educational programs of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
NOTE: The nest session of the Gardeners’ Toolbox Series 2010 is “Gardening for the Butterflies”. Tuesday, April 27, 6:00 pm, Cost $5.00. Learn to build a garden around the “Flying Flowers of Nature”. Garden Design, host and nectar plants and garden accessories will be shown and given as door prizes. You must register and pay by the deadline, April 20, 2010. Class will be held at the Hardin County Extension Office, 201 Peterson Drive. Elizabethtown, KY 42701 270-765-4121
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