Sodbusting and the Removal of Roots

Monday Jan. 4, 2009

It was a crisp 37° and overcast when I arrived to our assigned garden plot, a 20'X20' square on the west end of the San Marcos Community Garden. I was informed that our plot was on the higher end of the garden, so Deborah and I would not have to be so concerned with any threat of deluge or having to build our plot any higher than it already is. The soil had a nice concentration of moisture, very loose and sandy with some clay clumped around the root tangles of the sod that I was looking forward to busting. The first stage was apparent, clear all vegetation from the surface, pull all runners from the ground and loosen the soil.

I asked Ben, the de facto leader/organizer of the community garden, if a rototiller could be used. Ben made his preference of the shovel clear when he showed examples of plots that had used a rototiller for sod busting. He pointed out that rototillers tend to dig deeper than necessary which over time causes the plot's soil to flatten and harden, the rows and growing berms are less defined and water tends to settle on the surface of the plot as oppose to filter through the soil. The plots dug by a rototiller risked soil loss and water retainment and materials had to be added more frequently to that soil. The plots dug by hand had larger berms and looser soil and were generally more productive with out having to add very much outside materials.

I was sold on the shovel- however efficient the rototiller would have been (maybe allowing me to clear the plot in 30 minutes as oppose to the collective 4 hours over the course of two days,) results do lend themselves a modicum of truth. The clearing of the sod with shovel did not seem tiresome, but instead was a mundane pleasure that allowed me to experience my little plot of land. I paid attention to what is too often overlooked, every pulled root and clod of dirt held deeper meanings than what it actually was. This plot of dirt/soil/land was going to provide life with the guidance from my or Deborah's hand. We were to be (pardon the over use of the phrase) actual stewards of the land and in return in mere weeks this land would help sustain us.

I began raking out the drier vegetation and hack berry leaves, clumping the wetter vegetation to the edge of our plot so I could get a perspective of the area I would be working with. It took about four wheel barrow loads to get out all the dead vegetation which I dumped off in one of the brush piles that are also used as compost.  I then began breaking away the surface with the shovel clearing out the thick sections of sod.

What seemed to be the biggest challenge ended up benefiting the plot in the end. The long tangled runners ripped through the earth when pulled, loosening all the soil within its tracts. I was able to see the quality of our soil and the abundant activity that was taking place. I was told by one of the community gardeners that we were lucky to receive this plot as it had produced well in the past and as stated earlier sits on a higher point of the community garden.  The rows would lay east to west getting a full days worth of sun. Deborah was concerned about a nearby hack berry tree that borders the western end of our garden. Though it will not fill out until the spring, it sits low and probably will not have much of an effect on our garden crops. But even then we'll play it smart and plant veggies that tend to partial sunlight in that area just to be safe. Come spring when the weather starts climbing into the upper 80s, it will be a joy to sit under that shade after a long day of weeding, watering and pruning where a cold beer can be sipped as reward. 

The overall plan for the community garden is to eventually remove the hack berry trees that surround the fence line and replace with fruit trees. There is talk of apple, crab apple, and some sort of cherry tree. Because of the area's proximity to the San Marcos River and the fact that it lies in along the river valley I would assume apples of Jonagold variety would do well as that is what is grown in Medina, Texas in similar climate. Olive, peach, and orange trees could do just as well. There is also interest in keeping an on site bee hive and chicken coop which would benefit everyone. However, with a Greater Depression looming I can only imagine the river bums and freight train hobos hopping the fence and taking off with a chicken underhand, a pocket full of turnips and their mouths sticky with honey.