Daily gardening tip · Southern hemisphere · Monday 31 August 2026 · late winter
Perform a soil crumble test before spring
As winter comes to an end, you might be eager to start preparing your garden beds, but digging in wet soil can ruin its structure for the rest of the year.
5 minuteseasysoil
Scoop up a small handful of soil from a depth of about three inches.
Squeeze the soil firmly in your fist to form a ball.
Open your hand and gently poke the ball of soil with your index finger.
Observe whether the ball crumbles apart easily or stays in a sticky, solid lump.
Leave the soil alone to dry for a few more days if the ball does not crumble.
Why it works
Working wet soil squeezes out the tiny air pockets that plant roots and helpful microbes need to breathe. When wet, compacted soil eventually dries, it bakes into hard, concrete-like clods that roots cannot easily penetrate.
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