When spring fever hits, the first thing us gardeners want to do is get out and till the garden. There is a right time to till and a not so right time to till your soil. If you enter your garden and the soil is still wet, back up and wait for another day. Wet soil compacts very easily and that compaction is exactly what you don't want. If you live in or close to a farming area, you will see farmers with their tractors pulling a chisel plow to break up compaction in their fields. This tillage action will bring them better crop yields. Compacted soil does not allow air to move through soil and is harder for moisture to penetrate the soil. The plants need the air circulation in the soil as they breath through their root systems. Also, compacted soils tend to have more water runoff when water is applied, thus wasting a valuable resource and adding time to your busy schedule as you will have to water more frequently.

You can test your soil to see if it is ready to till. It is a very scientific (maybe not that scientific) way my father taught me. This test should be with soil from a 2 1/2 - 3' depth. 1. Pick up a handful of soil. 2. Squeeze it into a small ball. 3. Upon applying pressure to the ball the ball should crumble. If your fingers' pressure causes it to compress more, it is still still too wet to till.  

Wait a couple of days and try again; your plants will reward you for staying out of the garden and not compacting their bed. If you feel you have compaction issues, till the soil as deep as you can and then remember to stay our of the garden when it is wet. The weight of your foot print per square inch is greater than that of the tractor tires. So, you can image the impact in your garden.