Breaking New Ground

Every successful gardener knows that before planting the seeds or seedling plants, the soil must be prepared. And the first step is firing up the rototiller or picking up a shovel.

It’s time to turn the ground over. To break up the big chunks. To stir organic material into the natural clay. To loosen the dirt so that future plant roots have room to grow and that air and water can circulate. Otherwise fragile roots may encounter rock-hard ground and never get the nutrition they need for healthy...