Soil compaction in walking rows

WeedFreak78

WeedFreak78

Well-Known Member
weedhead24 said:
hey buddy I think that you should wait next time .After the garden dries up it doesn't take long .You can walk in between, otherwise your going to get really muddy .I wish I could show you .as to doing the rows . You really need to ask a farmer to teach you how to make a bad ass row column . You use a hoe .See how the corn fields look ? You can walk in between the rows .But you don't have to . If you do it this way you just let the water hose run on the sides of your rows .On the part where would walk in between when you harvest .An the roots will find water .Water in between rows View attachment 3962759
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That's what my rows look like, they are large mounds. The rows themselves are fine. After I tilled, I went through with a shovel, and a hoe, and dug out where my walking rows were about 10-12"down, and put that dirt on my rows to build them up. My mounds are 16"+ higher than the walking rows. I was always planning on doing what you said, put hoses in the walking rows for watering.

I went out yesterday with a pitchfork and broke up one of the walking rows to see what was going on, it's not as bad as I thought. Only the top 4" or so is really compacted, everything under that is still fairly loose. Almost like it made a mud cap. I'm running with it.
 
weedhead24

weedhead24

Well-Known Member
WeedFreak78 said:
That's what my rows look like, they are large mounds. The rows themselves are fine. After I tilled, I went through with a shovel, and a hoe, and dug out where my walking rows were about 10-12"down, and put that dirt on my rows to build them up. My mounds are 16"+ higher than the walking rows. I was always planning on doing what you said, put hoses in the walking rows for watering.

I went out yesterday with a pitchfork and broke up one of the walking rows to see what was going on, it's not as bad as I thought. Only the top 4" or so is really compacted, everything under that is still fairly loose. Almost like it made a mud cap. I'm running with it.
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you use a tiller a little compaction won't hurt your seedlings . You live and learn part of being a farmer dear friend . Next season grab some manure it improves soil texture to clay like soil . And if you got the money buy cheap ass hummus it should be cheap .That will break that soil down very quick will blow your mind how it works . You really want it to break up even faster mix a certain play sand brand .Mix humus mix cow manure and let God work .An your all good not everybody can sow . You can have the best fertilizer in the world and the ground still won't produce yield .Anyway but you will get what you desire very loose soil roots will grow out of control ! Hope all goes well
 
Carolina Dream'n

Carolina Dream'n

Well-Known Member
WeedFreak78 said:
I put in a new big veggie garden this year. After I got it set up, we had some heavy rain, I had to lay plywood strips on the ground to walk between my rows to plant, it was so muddy. Im running raised bed rows, appx 24-30" wide and around 20" tall, the beds were fine, but the walking paths became heavily compacted. I've never had this issue before in my old garden. Should I loosen up the soil in the walking rows? Does it not matter?
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Don't stress the walkways, they are not a productive part of the garden. If they serve there purpose of walking up and down don't waste your time.
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
Working biochar into your soil will also help prevent compaction. And stop you having to till, especially if you can mulch the surface.
 
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