Tilling my gardens

[Builtf0rdtough]

Well I was so anxious to get a garden tilled up and didn't have a tiller yet I used my shovel to till one of my gardens. Its only a 9'x10' plot but I'll be damned if it didn't whoop my butt lol. Well now since I've got a rototiller its been raining everyday. Should I wait for a couple of dry days before I till the other two plots? My big 20'x50' is starting to have sprouts come up...which isn't good. Advice? Should I buy hay to cover the plot after I seed? Should I plant right after I till? Thanks y'all.

[ksfarmer]

Don't till wet soil.!

[Post Carbon]

Originally Posted by ksfarmer

Don't till wet soil.!

Amen ! You've have a huge cloddy mess on your hands. Not to mention gumming up the rototiller....

[1shotwade]

100% agree w/ above. Never till until you can squeeze a hand full of dirt and it will not stick together!

Wade

[bja105]

Clay soil, certainly wait until it dries. But what about sandy soil?

Fill out your location in your profile.

[bja105]

One more thing, enjoy your new tiller, but don't over do it. I loved tilling so much, I tilled my garden to nearly dust one year. I think it made water ponding worse that year. When it dried, it was like a solid brick.

I still use my tiller frequently, set shallow to cultivate between rows.

[Post Carbon]

I love my tiller too. I've got one on the tractor and another hand tiller. Wouldn't be without both of them. The smaller Horse does the fine work. For example, after hilling the potato rows for the first time, then I go between them with the small tiller, which loosens the soil enough to be able to hill some more. Weeding at the same time. Now if I could figure out a way to do that AND hill more at the same time, I'd be smokin'.

I know the big potato farms can do that, but I don't have that kind of equipment....

[1shotwade]

Originally Posted by Post Carbon

I love my tiller too. I've got one on the tractor and another hand tiller. Wouldn't be without both of them. The smaller Horse does the fine work. For example, after hilling the potato rows for the first time, then I go between them with the small tiller, which loosens the soil enough to be able to hill some more. Weeding at the same time. Now if I could figure out a way to do that AND hill more at the same time, I'd be smokin'.

I know the big potato farms can do that, but I don't have that kind of equipment....

Troybilt makes a hilling attachment for their tillers. My brother has one that he hills with. I have the tiller but have never used the hiller but he likes it a lot.


Wade

[Builtf0rdtough]

Its been raining so much lately its gonna be a while before it dries out. I live in North central FL. Should I worry about the sprouts coming up?

[am1too]

Originally Posted by Builtf0rdtough

Its been raining so much lately its gonna be a while before it dries out. I live in North central FL. Should I worry about the sprouts coming up?

No, I wouldn't.

[Danaus29]

Originally Posted by Builtf0rdtough

Its been raining so much lately its gonna be a while before it dries out. I live in North central FL. Should I worry about the sprouts coming up?

Only if you have neighbors that will complain to your local zoning or health dept. Think of the sprouts as organic material to be added to the soil.

[ognend]

I don't till my garden. What I do is pull out the outgoing plants, throw a thick layer of aged and composted horse manure, give it a few weeks and then plant the new stuff.

[sammyd]

grab a handful of soil and squeeze it into a ball. If it shatters when dropped from about 2 feet you should be good to go.
Sprouts aren't a problem. Seeds are the problem.

[Builtf0rdtough]

Should I buy some hay to cover over the crop after I plant the seeds to help with unwanted plant life? Does it work well?

[sammyd]

we usually don't mulch until stuff is up pretty good. Until then we hoe or handpick the weeds.