Soil through the year
One thing to do and one thing to leave alone for each month, and the reason. It is about the soil, not about growing a particular plant. The same words appear on the home page each month when you are signed in.
These are rough field guides for the Rapid City area, written for people new to soil. They are not yet reviewed by an extension agent, so check with your local extension office for your own situation. Timing is a few weeks later in the Black Hills.
January
WinterSnow is a free blanket
- Do this
- Check that leaves and mulch have not blown off bare spots after wind.
- Leave alone
- Walking on frozen bare soil over and over. Compacted ground stays that way.
Why: Snow insulates the soil, and leaves or mulch under it hold the surface in place. Soil that is walked on again and again while it is frozen and bare can pack down, and it stays packed when it thaws.
February
WinterNotice where the snow melts first
- Do this
- Look for patches that melt out early. They are often bare, and worth covering next fall.
- Leave alone
- Working soil on warm days. It is still half frozen underneath.
Why: Bare dark soil warms and melts first, which is a quick way to find the spots with no cover. Soil that is thawed on top and frozen below cannot drain, so digging it makes mud and packs it.
March
ThawWait for it to crumble
- Do this
- Do the squeeze test: squeeze a handful from about 4 inches down. If it falls apart when you poke it, it is ready to work.
- Leave alone
- Digging or tilling wet soil. It packs down and sets hard.
Why: Soil is made of tiny clumps with air spaces between them. When it is wet the clumps are soft, and digging squeezes the air out. The soil can set like a brick when it dries and take years to loosen again.
April
SpringFirst look at your soil
- Do this
- Try the clod drop once the ground has thawed. It shows how well your soil holds together.
- Leave alone
- Tilling the whole bed. Open only what you need.
Why: Soil that holds together in water has natural glue from roots, fungi and organic matter. Turning over a whole bed breaks that glue apart, so it is better to disturb as little as you need to.
May
SpringCount the life
- Do this
- Do the worm count while the soil is moist and warming up.
- Leave alone
- Pulling all the mulch back. Move it aside, do not remove it.
Why: Earthworms are a sign that the soil has food, air and water, and spring is when they are near the surface. Mulch is what they eat and what keeps the surface moist, so keep it close.
June
SummerKeep it covered in the heat
- Do this
- Do the cover check. Fill bare patches with mulch or plants.
- Leave alone
- Leaving bare soil in the sun. It dries out and crusts.
Why: Bare soil bakes in summer sun. It loses water, forms a crust that rain runs off, and gets too hot for the life in it. Anything touching the surface, living or dead, shades it.
July
SummerWatch how it holds water
- Do this
- Note how many days the soil stays moist after rain or watering, in the same spot each time.
- Leave alone
- Digging in a drought. It dries the soil out further.
Why: How long soil stays moist is one of the clearest signs of how it is doing. Soil with more organic matter and more cover holds water longer. Digging in dry weather opens the soil to the air and dries it faster.
August
SummerThink about fall cover
- Do this
- Decide where leaves or a cover crop will go once things die back.
- Leave alone
- Pulling every dead plant out by the roots. Roots feed soil life as they break down.
Why: Planning where cover will go now means it is on the soil before the ground freezes. Roots left in the ground are food for the life in the soil, and they leave channels that let water in.
September
FallA second look
- Do this
- Repeat the worm count and compare it with spring.
- Leave alone
- Clearing every bit of plant debris away.
Why: One count is a snapshot. Two counts in different seasons show whether the soil is changing. Plant debris is both cover and food, so leave some of it.
October
FallLeaves are free cover
- Do this
- Spread leaves 2 to 4 inches deep over bare soil. Shred them if you can.
- Leave alone
- Bagging leaves for the trash.
Why: Leaves are free cover that falls right when the soil needs it. They protect the surface over winter and feed the soil as they break down. Shredded leaves lie flat and do not blow away.
November
FallCover it before the freeze
- Do this
- Finish covering bare spots before the ground freezes.
- Leave alone
- Going into winter with bare soil.
Why: Soil that freezes bare has nothing between it and the winter wind, rain and thaw. Cover put on before the freeze is the cheapest protection there is.
December
WinterCover is your winter coat
- Do this
- Take the snow-cover check and see what is under the snow.
- Leave alone
- Piling road salt or de-icer where the runoff reaches your soil.
Why: You cannot do much to the soil in December, but you can look. Seeing what is under the snow tells you which spots to cover next fall. Salt can damage soil structure and harm plant roots, so keep it away from soil.