Gass Garden - Sod Busting and Soil Prep

MG Bob Hyatt Busts the Sod

Ground was broken on Saturday, August 27th at the site of the future Patrick Gass Garden.  MG Bob Hyatt used his tractor to scrape off the top layer of turf to expose the soil below.

MG's Pitch in to Remove Sod

Ready for Soil Amendments

Ready for Soil Amendments

The results from the Penn State soil test that was done earlier in the year (following these directions), called for pH adjustments and the addition of Phosphate, plus some organic material to till in to overcome the compaction.

MG Cindy Stead Prepares to Spread Amendments

MG's Pose Wearing Proper PPE

It does this Pesticide Educator proud to see the MG volunteers using the proper personal protection equipment (PPE), in this case NIOSH certified dust masks, while working with the amendment compounds.  I bet they READ THE LABEL! 

Spreading the Amendments

MG Steve Gray Tills the Soil

More Tilling

Fall is the best time to prep a new bed for Spring planting.  Over the winter, the soil will freeze and thaw, moving any corrective amendments and organic material like compost throughout the first 6-8 inches of topsoil, making a nice healthy environment for all the soil organisms that are necessary for a successful garden.

The Franklin County Master Gardeners of Penn State Extension worked with Snavely's Garden Corner in Chambersburg for the amendments used in the garden preparation.