 Hi, I'm Melissa Secora, NDSU Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources for Sargent County. Today I'm going to be preparing my garden for the growing season with a few simple steps. If you haven't taken a soil sample in a few years, it's recommended that you do so so you know your available nutrient levels in your soils. NDSU Extension has a video available that walks you through the process of taking a soil sample if you have questions. Once you have your soil test results, you'll be able to determine if a fertilizer application is needed or not. When preparing my garden, I want to make sure to remove any old plant materials from the soil surface. Removing these plant materials will help reduce my chances of spreading diseases that may have overwintered in the material. When determining if my garden soil is ready to be worked or not, I'm going to look at the soil moisture about two to three inches deep. So now I'm going to take a sample of my soil to look at the moisture. The soil here is easily crumbling apart, then it's ready to be worked. If it stays in a ball and doesn't fall apart easily, you'll want to wait a few days for the soil to dry out. If you work your soil when it's too wet, it's going to form clumps and it's going to be really hard for those seeds to germinate and establish in that soil. Before working your soil, you may choose to add compost or peat moss, which will help with nutrient and water holding capabilities. If your soil is ready to be worked, you can till your garden to provide for a nice seed bed. Perhaps you have a smaller garden area or a raised bed, then you can also use your shovel and rig to provide a nice seed bed for it to grow. Many gardeners are also choosing no till as an option. When planting for my gardening season, I want to make sure I have enough space between rows so I can till throughout the growing season to kill the weeds if needed. I also want to make sure I plant enough space between my plants for them to have adequate room to grow. And I want to plan for my crop rotations so I'm not planting my tomatoes in the same spot every year. I like to use a garden journal when planning for the season. That way I can plan my rotations, my available space, and I can also make notes in my journal throughout the growing season on which varieties I liked and didn't like and reference it from year to year. If you have any questions about preparing and planning your garden, contact your local NDSU Extension agent and they'll be happy to help you.