(Jackson County Master Gardeners Association )

May has arrived, and it can be tempting to rush into the garden and fire up the rototiller. But Jackson County Master Gardener Lynn Kunstman said the common practice can damage the ecosystem beneath the soil.

Soil is a complex biosphere, with organisms adapted to specific layers. When soil is turned over, deep-dwelling organisms are moved to the surface, while surface-dwelling organisms are buried in conditions where they cannot survive.

“You’re basically killing off the life in your soil every time you rototill,” Kunstman said.

Repeated tilling can also deposit clay into an impervious layer, known as hardpan, that blocks water flow and root growth.

Instead of tilling, Kunstman recommends patience and careful planting. For summer vegetables, she said gardeners should generally wait until Mother’s Day to make sure the soil has reached 50 degrees and the risk of frost has declined.

Kunstman also recommends several strategies:

• Trench tomatoes: Rather than digging a deep hole, gardeners can make a trench and bury the plant along the stem. Kunstman said that encourages the stem to grow extra roots in the warm upper soil, creating a stronger root mass.
  
• Build mounds for melons: Squash, cucumbers and melons grow well in hills of rich compost. The mounds provide warmth and better drainage for heat-loving plants.
  
• Watch the nitrogen: For peppers and eggplants, gardeners should avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which encourage vegetative growth instead of fruit production.
  

Event

The Jackson County Master Gardener Association Spring Garden Fair is scheduled for May 2-3 at the Expo in Central Point. The event will feature more than 3,500 plants and expert demonstrations.

Guest

• Lynn Kunstman, Jackson County Master Gardener