• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Seed Starting
    • Plant Profiles
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Raised Bed Gardening
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Herbs
  • About
    • Books & Classes
      • Herbalism Classes
      • Books for Christian Herbalists
      • Privacy Policy

Don’t Work Wet Soil

April 18, 2018 by Jeanne

Don’t work wet soil. Waiting to get into the garden pays off in big benefits later in the form of healthier soil. It’s worth the wait.

Why You Shouldn’t Work Wet Soil

This spring weather has been crazy. One day, it is 80 and sunny, and my apple trees are buzzing with bees. The next day, it’s snowing, or we’re under a tornado watch. We get an inch of rain in under 12 hours and then we have a fire risk warning the next day.

What crazy weather we’re having….and having….

It’s tempting to go out and start digging on the first lovely spring day that comes your way. But there are dangers to working with too-wet soil.

Soil consists of water, air molecules, organic matter, and small particles of rocks. The amount of each as well as the size of the particles gives soil a sandy, clay, or loamy texture.

Wet soil is soil that is saturated with water. After a heavy rain, water soak through the small pockets and spaces between the other particles, filling as many of the gaps as it can fill.

When soil is heavy with water, working the soil through tilling, digging, or walking too much on the wet ground compacts the soil. Basically, you are squishing all the particles together so that you’re removing space for air. The results, states an article in the Daily Herald, can mean damaged soil not just for this season, but for years to come.

How do you now when wet soil is too wet? Most gardeners know by instinct but if you are new to gardening, scoop up a handful and squeeze it. If water drips from it, it’s too wet. If it makes a heavy clay ball, it’s too wet.

When in doubt, wait. Tilling, spading, or hoeing wet soil will hurt your garden and take years to fix the damage.

SaveSave

SaveSave

Filed Under: Home Garden Tips

Previous Post: « Easy Crepe Recipe
Next Post: Double Flowering Tulips Add Incredible Beauty »

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

As Seen in Porch

 As Seen in Porch

We were featured in Porch.com and answered reader's questions about indoor plants.

Explore All Gardening Articles

a closeup of watermelon

Watermelon in the Home Garden

a zucchini growing in a raised bed

Growing Zucchini in Raised Beds

kale growing in a raised bed

Replenishing Raised Bed Garden Soil

raised bed garden

How to Build a Vegetable Garden Using Raised Beds

Herbalism Classes & Supplies

Goods Shop by Herbal Academy – botanically inspired products

Disclosure

Home Garden Joy participates in two affiliate programs: Amazon and The Herbal Academy. Home Garden Joy earns a commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. As an Herbal Academy Associate, HGJ also earns a commission when you sign up for classes or purchase herbs or supplies from The Herbal Academy. Herbal information and recipes on this site are provided for educational purposes only.

Footer

a zucchini growing in a raised bed

Growing Zucchini in Raised Beds

Growing zucchini in raised beds ensures that this prolific vegetable has the best conditions to thrive. You can grow zucchini in pots or containers, but I prefer growing it in raised beds. This is a great vegetable to grow if you have a “black thumb” and kill plastic plants, because it’s hard to grow a…

Read More

a close up of onions

How to Grow Onions in Your Backyard

Wondering how to grow onions? I’ve grown onions here at Seven Oaks Farm in several ways: from “sets” or starter plants and from store-bought onions that sprouted in the bag! Onions don’t require much space, and you can grow a lot for the money you spend on starter plants. Let’s take a look at how…

Read More

butternut squash growing in a raised garden bed

How to Grow Butternut Squash Organically

Learning how to grow butternut squash organically ensures you know how to grow this tasty, nutritious vegetable in your home garden. I’ll share with you some basic information on growing butternut squash, followed by some organic gardening tips that have been helpful for me here at Seven Oaks Farm in dealing with the various pests…

Read More

herbs in a pink dish

How to Make the Perfect Cup of Herbal Tea

Make the perfect cup of herbal tea, right from your own garden! In May, I gave two free talks on how to grow, harvest, dry, and create your very own herbal teas. This lecture proved so popular that I recorded the narration and uploaded it to YouTube. You can view it below: Supplies to Make…

Read More

  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Awards

Copyright © 2025 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme