Gardening with Cows

[digitS']

This is from Wikipedia and one way — shovel first, spading fork to reach greater depth, second. Compost can be worked in with the fork.

This is about what I do but it varies. Removing 8-10 inches of soil is most important to me. The top soil depth doesn't really extend deeper than about 6 inches. A caliche layer usually exists below that which is difficult to break through. Also, the gravel content is high.

Once I have achieved that 8-10 inches, I am generally happy with it and compost liquids can percolate down from there. John Jeavon's Biointensive gardening approach suggests 24 inches.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

i don't replace deeper layers with shallow soil because the soil microbe community is different. instead i double dig and replace the deeper soil in the bottom, but i also layer it with whatever materials/compost i can find to help break up that deeper layer.

here it is not caliche as much as just a pan layer from repeated plowing and compaction over many years before we bought it. heavy clay down there. not many worms either. once i get it amended then the worm tunnels increase. oh, and i don't go out of my way to break the deeper clods apart as they might have worms in them and i don't want to hurt those guys.