Fall vs Spring Tilling of new garden

[IslandTractor]

I have a question regarding tilling in Spring or Fall. Background info: I don't have much experience with tilling having just purchased one (6ft KKII) in April and have used it only in May/June and then again today (Oct). I should point out that I am tilling an old field which was once overgrown with wild grape and has not been tilled or plowed, just mowed, for the past 10-20 years.

This Spring was wet and I waited until late May/early June to till a plot to be used for corn. As noted there are old dead (presumably) wild grape roots in the field. A lot of them. During my Spring tilling I had to stop to remove the roots wrapped around the tiller every few minutes or after about 250ft of tilling, even on second passes through the area. Major PITA. Took hours to till a quarter acre plot. I tilled again today in an area directly adjacent to the corn field and was able to till to my hearts delight without ever needing to stop to remove grape roots.

I imagine that the reason was that the roots were wet and flexible in the Spring and therefore did not fracture when hit by the tiller but instead were sucked like pasta into the tiller creating a mess. At the end of the summer (fairly dry but hardly a drought year) the grape roots appear to be more brittle and the tiller seems to just split them into 3 inch pieces rather than wind them up. Maybe it is not the grape roots that are more brittle but that the ground is dry vs quite wet in the spring and that the dry ground holds the roots so the tiller can cut them while in the wet ground the roots can just be sucked out of the soil whole.

Two questions: Has anyone else noted this phenomenon? If I till in the Fall should I retill the same area in the Spring before planting (more corn)?

 

[Gary Fowler]

I dont know about grape root problem, but standard farm practice before the zero till process became popular was to disc or till the previous crop residue in the fall to give it time to rot before spring planting. This puts back all the nutrients that werent used to produce the crop. Also this is a good time to do fall lime if required to adjust the Ph.
Next spring you would need to till again to kill off any winter weeds and grass prior to planting and loosen up the soil. By doing it in the fall, it makes the spring tilling much easier. Your spring tilling could also incorporate the spring fertilizer ahead of the till. Just till in the granular fertilizer as soon as possible after the application. I usually disc it up till it is nice and granular with no lumps or weed residue and then row it up. Let it set for about a week if possible, then drag a harrow over the top to flatten the row a little and plant your crop. The lag time allows the fertilizer to dissolve completely and disperse into the soil so you dont get a hot spot on a tender young plant.

 

[bp fick]

What Gary Fowler said.

Additional benefits of fall tilling (or plowing) is that if you have any clay, it will break down better with the freeze/thaw cycles of winter. Typically, fall tilling prevents some winter compaction problems and allows you to get on that soil a little earlier in spring as it will dry out a little sooner. A commercial farmer cannot afford too many trips across his field, but small plot keepers and gardeners can.

 

[MarkV]

I also thought Gary said it well and that is pretty much what I do. Something else to consider is a winter cover crop to improve the soil. You then till it in during your spring tilling.

MarkV

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks guys.

 

[Lyrch75]

I had a problem a bit like this when I expanded my garden. Bummed a 2 bottom moldboard plow and turned over the whole garden, including the area I am expanding into.
Plow worked the soil much deeper than the tillers will and I got the weeds and roots ripped free without screwing up the tiller.

 

[bp fick]

I had a problem a bit like this when I expanded my garden. Bummed a 2 bottom moldboard plow and turned over the whole garden, including the area I am expanding into.
Plow worked the soil much deeper than the tillers will and I got the weeds and roots ripped free without screwing up the tiller.

I so agree. When establishing a new garden area out of soil not tilled previously, it is essential to turn the stuff over good. Not so deep as to bury your top soil, if you live in an area of thin soil and poor subsoil, but deep enough to "rot down" the sod and root systems that used to occupy that ground.

For this, a plow, in my experience, beats a tiller any day. At least use a middle buster or potato plough to break it. These little guys will go down 10" in a heartbeat, where tillers tend to only do 6-8".

 

[ChuckinNH]

+1 on the fall tilling. I just finished mine the other day. I also plant winter rye in the fall since it makes a good cover crop, the deer love it, and it is very easy (breaks down very quickly) to till in when spring comes. It should be a good thing to plant in your location, for a couple of weeks yet anyway, or maybe even a bit later where you are.

 

[bp fick]

Here's some photos. This is virgin ground. Tough. Soddy.

Middle buster work, touched up with disk.

View attachment 141779

View attachment 141780

View attachment 141781

 

[pitt_md]

Something to consider with your overgrown areas is to use roundup now and plow it under/till it after a couple weeks. You will have less weeds next spring in your corn.