Today was unbelievable. It hit nearly 70 degrees, and it was sunny most of the morning. I had to get my hands in the dirt!
I asked my neighbors if I could borrow their tiller to get the soil in my garden and in my new berry patch turned. I got all the manure I had added last fall worked in so it was a rich dark brown. I love the color of fresh spring soil. The chickens were very curious about it too.
The garlic I planted in the fall is looking pretty good. All of it has sprouted with the bursts of warm days we've had this winter.
My next task was to do some soil testing. I took samples from three spots in the garden and one on the far side of the yard where I want to plant some berries. I had ordered this simple test kit on Amazon a few weeks ago so I'd be ready.
First I did the pH test. Almost all my samples looked like this, which I read as slightly acid.
For the other three tests, I had to prepare the samples with a 1:5, soil:water mixture. You shake it until it mixes well then leave it to settle out.
The kit says it could take 3-24 hours depending on the type of soil you have. Then you fill each test container with water from the solution and add the little chemical pack. So I'm waiting for my samples to separate out before I learn more about my soil.
When I finished all I could for today, I sat in a chair on the deck, muddy and sweaty and happy, dreaming of the garden that will be in full swing before I know it.
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