tilth

The physical condition of soil as it relates to its fitness for planting — its texture, structure, aeration, moisture, and workability. Good tilth means soil that crumbles easily in the hand, accepts water without puddling, and offers roots an open, welcoming matrix. Tilth is not a property of the soil alone; it is the result of how the soil has been managed. Years of careful cultivation, cover cropping, and organic amendment produce good tilth. Years of compaction, bare fallowing, and chemical dependence destroy it.