I feel like a broken record ... always recommending the same site - ROOT DEVELOPMENT - but it just seems to fit. Beets & Swiss chard roots both extend 6 ft and almost that many laterally. ..snip..."Effect on Soil Structure.--Extensive, root systems like those of chard and beet must exert a pronounced effect upon soil structure. It seems that with the usual spacing of these plants, the soil would be thoroughly ramified with roots. Investigations on the influence of plant roots on the structure of the soil show that ...... But in compact soils roots may to a certain degree improve the structure and thus increase production. In compact stiff soil without granular structure, the loosening process is aided, to the benefit of plant growth, by the mechanical action of roots and by a strong modification of the moisture conditions. The beneficial combination of self-loosening and root action explains the frequent permanent improvement of the soil structure under the continued influence of roots, as in grasslands, 172 and also the prevention of the permanent puddling of the soil by rain. It has been found that a marked surface spreading of roots has a beneficial influence upon the penetration and movement of water in the soil. Water movement is much more rapid, although lateral percolation and loss of water through evaporation is retarded. Where the soil is occupied by plants throughout the year, the effects are most marked" Here is a link that might be useful: Root development of vegetable crops

Wow Joe! That was quite a posting! I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now...more than before. The slope itself is a whopping mess. There is decades of yard waste down there (complete with every critter imaginable), there are heavy vines choking the trees that are still standing, and there is obvious, serious erosion that has taken place over the years. The previous owner said than when his kids were little that there were stairs going down to the creek, but there's no evidence of the stairs now, nor is there an obvious place where one could put stairs. Plus, the previous owner installed his own horseshoe pits years ago (I know! Who does that?), and if you stood where you were supposed to to actually play a game, you'd fall right over. So that tells us a lot about how fast this spot is eroding. I actually wonder if the next door neighbor's house will still be there in a few years. The house is only about 10-15 feet away from the slope and their section is steeper than ours. Although they don't have a fraction of the yard waste on their side that we do. We've pulled tons of old metal and an old tire out of another part of the yard that's woodsier and way less eroded, so I don't even want to think about what's down there besides yard waste. There's one area, right at the edge of the yard that's basically bare dirt with a smattering of weeds. If I only put some native plants in that spot and did nothing else (I'm thinking about the slope), would that slow the erosion down any? And even in that spot, you wouldn't amend the soil or add compost or anything? Would you bring in any top soil? Thanks so much for the links you sent. That Riparian Area Management page is fascinating. I called the extension office and they gave me the number of the soil and water division. I've left a message at that office, but they haven't called back yet. I just this second googled "watershed cazenovia creek" and came back with this link: http://www.epa.gov/ecopage/rivers/cazcreek/index.html It looks like I have a few places to turn, at least to learn something - prior to today, I'd never even heard the word "riparian" before, so I'm already making progress! Forgive me for really hoping you're wrong about those sugar maples.... :)

You know, I was wondering about this very same topic, and was even going to post a question on it myself. Last year there was something on a gardening show (It might have been P. Allan Smith's show or something like that). Whoever was hosting said that he never walks in the beds after it has rained out because it causes compaction. I don't doubt this is true, but I still think it is rather impractical at the same time. I would end up not weeding for the entire month of April. I can maybe see this in areas that do not get lots of rain, but otherwise... I think after (and during!) a rainshower is the perfect time to weed. They come up so easily. Whenever I weed I always try to give the spade a good turn under the soil to loosen things up. CMK

Jake: I hope you don't think I'm pestering you. dchall and other say that their experience comes from finding out what others are doing that works for them, so I'm just trying to find out more about what you do. I'm going on the theory that if something like aeration improves your lawn then there may be something out of whack. On the other hand, maybe a little aeration has a beneficial effect on all lawns. Have you ever done a Logan Labs soil test or any soil test that you could post?