My soil is workable!! And only 6 days ago we had a foot of snow…..

What does it mean when a seed packet says : “Plant as soon as soil is workable?”

Well, it’s cause for excitement and celebration!!! It means the soil is thawed and has drained enough so that its not too wet to turn with a shovel. It means your boots didn’t sink in the mud. Your shovel didn’t get stuck in frozen soil. Your garden gate opened without a foot of snow blocking it.

It doesn’t mean you need to turn it before planting. I’ve planted early crops the past few years without turning the soil. I just draw a furrow and plant beet, pea, or carrot seeds. Lettuce, arugula, endive …. (so many crops, so little time)

I’m thinking I’ll plant my first outdoor crops at the end of next week. We still have cold weather predicted. And a bit of snow – though I’m sure it will be short-lived. My seed packets are ready. This week I’m planing to get my plot ready by turning last year’s compost, setting up a new compost bin, cleaning up my plot, taking a soil sample and doing some planning. ….. Next week I’ll plant.