Testing Soil Conditions for Tilling  

Amending your soil for optimal growing can yield tremendous results in your garden.  But it's important to test soil conditions before you operate your tiller or you might just make matters worse.

Too Damp?
Conditions that are too damp may cause you to form soil clods that are difficult to break down once they dry.  Tilling extremely wet soil can lead to soil compaction.  Plus it will stick to your tiller, your shoes, and just about everything else.

Too Dry?
Of course, you don't want to till when soil is overly dry either.  If there's no moisture in the soil, turning it can lead to erosion.  Dry ground is harder to work than soil that is somewhat moist.

How to tell...
Pick up a small amount in your hand, form it into a ball, and set it on a flat surface.  If the ball stays together until you just barely touch, and then falls apart, it is ready.  If it stays in a ball even when you poke it, it needs a few days to dry out.  Of course, if it crumbles or won't even form a shape, it is too dry and needs to be watered until the consistency is right.