till the soil
Prepare the ground
To till the soil is to prepare land for planting by turning, loosening, and breaking up the earth.
Tilling aerates compacted ground and mixes in nutrients, making it receptive to seeds: He spent the morning tilling the soil in the vegetable garden.
The phrase often carries connotations of honest agricultural labor and working the land.
- plowTool for turning soil
- break groundStart a building project
- cultivateGrow or develop purposefully
- furrowNarrow trench in earth
- hoeWeeding and tilling implement
harrow · dirt · earth · farmer · family farm · seeds · garden · spade · rows · fields · crops · root vegetables · loam · compost · tractor · sow · growing season · crop rotation
- Garden Sayingsmake hay, plant seeds, nip in the bud, bed of roses, harvest time
- farm idiomsmake hay while the sun shines, cream of the crop, put the cart before the horse, buy the farm, put out to pasture