What does soil preparation accomplish?
While many producers of large scale field crops are moving toward minimum or no-till systems, market garden crops are poor competitors and require a high level of soil preparation. The purpose of soil preparation is to prepare the soil and improve the quality of the seedbed prior to planting. Incorporation can reduce the amount of trash on the soil surface, break up hardened or compacted areas or control early weed growth. Soil preparation can increase soil temperature, improve water distribution within the seedbed, increase the likelihood of good seed to soil contact and improve seed germination and subsequent plant growth. A good seedbed is…
