How to Prepare the Soil Before Planting with VITO Tools

04 March 2026

Preparing the soil is one of the essential steps to ensure that any crop develops in a healthy way.

In this article, we explain the fundamental steps of this preparation and highlight the VITO tools that can help you, from manual solutions to motorised equipment.

1. Assess the Soil

Before you pick up the tools, it is important to understand the state of the soil.

Texture and compaction

• If the soil is too hard, water and nutrients have a hard time penetrating.
• If it is excessively loose and sandy, it will not be able to retain enough moisture.

 

Weeds and roots

Deep or very dense grasses indicate that the soil may need more intense tillage.

 

When do you know the soil is ready to plant?

The soil is prepared when it is loose, homogeneous, with good drainage and without obstacles such as stones or roots.

 

2. What to Use in Soil Preparation

For smaller areas, such as flower beds, planters and small gardens, hand tools are indispensable:

• Shovels and hoes – useful for turning over the soil, breaking up clods and incorporating organic matter.

• Double Hoes  – ideal for surface aeration and removal of smaller weeds.

• Rakes – perfect for levelling the ground, removing rocks and evening out the surface.

 

3. When the Soil is More Demanding

During the soil preparation process, it is common to have doubts about what to do when the soil is very hard. For these cases, VITO has machines that will make your work faster and more efficient.

Petrol Tillers

Suitable for medium-sized jobs and for preparing flower beds, vegetable gardens, and larger gardens.

Petrol Cultivators

More robust, suitable for heavy terrain or larger areas, allowing you to work the soil in depth.

 

Check out VITO's "The Guide to Choosing Between a Petrol Tiller and a Petrol Cultivator" to find out all the differences between these equipments.

 

4. Enrich and Amend the Soil

Once tilled, the soil needs to be nurtured and adjusted.

Add organic matter

Manure, compost or humus improve water retention and provide essential nutrients.

 

Adjust pH

• Very acidic soils benefit from agricultural limestone.
• Soils that are too alkaline may need extra organic matter.

By using a petrol tiller or a petrol cultivator, you can incorporate these materials homogeneously, reducing effort and ensuring better results. These machines are especially useful for making the soil looser and more uniform before planting.

 

5. Levelling and finishing

At this stage, hand tools stand out again:

• The rake helps to even out the surface.
• The shovel allows you to correct small depressions.
• The double hoe can be used to loosen the surface layer if it is accidentally stepped on.

 

Preparing the soil becomes simpler when you use the right tools.

VITO provides you solutions for all stages of the process, from hand tools to motorised equipment for demanding soil.