How and Why to Firm Your Vegetable Garden's Soil

Learn the advantages of firm garden soil for starting seeds. This advice is by Peter Henderson, from his 1887 book, Gardening for Pleasure.

Farmer Sowing Seeds

In sowing all kinds of seeds, more particularly those of small size, be careful, if the soil is dry, to "firm" or press down the surface of the bed or row, after sowing, with the feet, or a light roller, or the back of a spade, more especially if the weather is beginning to get warm. Crops are often lost through the failure of the seeds to germinate, for the simple reason that the soil is left loose about the tiny seeds, and the dry atmosphere penetrates to them, shriveling them up until all vitality is destroyed. We sow nearly all vegetable crops in rows, and in every case, as soon as the seed is sown, it is pressed down in the drill with the foot, then covered up level by the back of a rake drawn lengthways with the drills, and again firmed by the roller or back of a spade. For want of this simple precaution, perhaps one-fourth of all seeds sown fail to germinate, and the seedsman is blamed, while the fault is owing entirely to the ignorance or carelessness of the planter. Again, for the same reason, when setting out plants of any kind, be certain that the soil is pressed close to the root. In our large plantings in market gardening, particularly in summer, we make it a rule in dry weather to turn back on the row after planting it with the dibber or trowel, and press the earth firmly to each plant with the foot. We have seen whole acres of Celery, Cabbage, and Strawberry plants lost solely through neglect of this precaution.

By Peter Henderson, from his 1887 book, GARDENING FOR PLEASURE

Garden Roller

This is part of an article from the book The Kitchen Garden Guide