Starting a new garden plot from scratch

[Triguy1]

I thought I would throw this out as I have benefited from all your advice several times now.

We have a new property in NW Ohio, and I am planning a good sized garden plot, probably a 1/2 acre or maybe a bit bigger to start with. The area I want to use is near the house and our pond, so only 3-4,feet from the water table. It was farm land a couple of decades ago so it should be decent for growing, though I am sending in a soil sample soon. Currently, the plot is basically lawn that has been let go to prairie. I know I should have started to prepare the area last fall, but there was so many other things to get done after moving here in July...

At this point my general idea is to cut the brush as soon as it is dry enough to get in with the tractor. Then the plan was to just get a 3pt rototiller to cut up the sod, then wait till planting time.

A second thought was to get a one bottom plow. (I have a BX2360) The soil is somewhat sandy in our region, so I am not sure that this is even necessary.

Im sure I will need to get some compost, manure etc, but I am planning to wait until I get soil sample back before worrying about that.

Any thoughts or advice is welcome.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[nybirdman]

New sod is tough to break with a tiller.I would buy a inexpensive "middle buster/potatoe plow" use that first and then till.TSC has them for $150.00 or so.I find it a very usefull tool,does a great job digging potatoes.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Heres what I do and Im a firm beliver in it. I like to mow the grass pretty close. Then Plow it either with a moldboird plow or middle buster then disk or till the soil. Tilling too much can cause over compaction and a layer of plow pan. I like to see the sod flipped over and the green cover go under the ground. Its also a little easier on the tiller having the ground already broken.

THen I like to disk or till it. Depending on what im planting with. I plant with a Covington planter and I like my squash and peas to be tilled and the tomato patches. Corn and a few others Ill just disk because its faster. I like to add lime and organic matter like straw and leaves in the fall or spring. If done in the spring it will need a little nitrogen for help.

Also if the water table is onl a few feet down you should probably look into a disk bedder or hiller.

 

[charlz]

For grassy areas I like to hit it again after about 2 weeks. This gives most of the grass that was tilled under time to break down some and then you can mix in the rest. Otherwise you end of with a lot of grassy crap when you are trying to rake etc. to form rows, beds or hills. I have just used the tiller and go over it slowly at least three times for the first tilling. Each tilling direction is 90degrees from the last.

 

[foggy1111]

For grassy areas I like to hit it again after about 2 weeks. This gives most of the grass that was tilled under time to break down some and then you can mix in the rest. Otherwise you end of with a lot of grassy crap when you are trying to rake etc. to form rows, beds or hills. I have just used the tiller and go over it slowly at least three times for the first tilling. Each tilling direction is 90degrees from the last.

Yep....I agree on getting the grasses killed. Multiple passes are a good thing. A good tilling last fall would have been ideal. Alas.

If it was not for a garden.....I would likely use round-up to first kill the grasses. But lots of folks (including me) are pretty fussy about using chemicals on a garden plot.

 

[bp fick]

We were in your same position a little over three years ago. The sod was pretty thick. I used an inexpensive middle buster and "plowed" and plowed it and plowed it. A heavy disk would have sped up the rotting, but I didn't have one. No matter what you do, it just takes some time. The earlier you can get the roots torn up, the better.

Yes, loads of manure is also important as it helps to balance the soil and rot the heavy carbon load of the old plant/root matter.

I ran my walk behind tiller down the planting row, just before placing the seeds. No need to actually till the whole thing. It sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't. 2/3 of the ground is between the rows and does not need tilling. By July, there was no trace of the old sod.

We're organic market gardeners, so Round Up wasn't an option for us. As it turned out, it truly wasn't needed.

I've broken up about 1/4 acre more soil each of the following years, doing the same methods. I have added a field cultivator and a spring tooth drag harrow, which have been great additions.

 

[Triguy1]

Thanks for the ideas, good to know that I am going the right direction. I have a sub soiler that I bought as a cheap alternative to renting a trencher when I ran electricity out to the shop. (which worked great by the way). Anyone think that I can cheap out again and use that to break up the sod before tilling? I know it does not do exactly the same job as a moldboard plow or middle buster, but as long as I am being cheap...

 

[bp fick]

Thanks for the ideas, good to know that I am going the right direction. I have a sub soiler that I bought as a cheap alternative to renting a trencher when I ran electricity out to the shop. (which worked great by the way). Anyone think that I can cheap out again and use that to break up the sod before tilling? I know it does not do exactly the same job as a moldboard plow or middle buster, but as long as I am being cheap...

Sometimes those things are "dual" purpose. You just change out the tip. Mine is that way. Use it with a narrow blade and it is a sub soiler, put the wide spade on it and it's a middle buster.

I'm just guessing, but I"ll bet you could put more of a spade on it.

 

[Jstpssng]

Thanks for the ideas, good to know that I am going the right direction. I have a sub soiler that I bought as a cheap alternative to renting a trencher when I ran electricity out to the shop. (which worked great by the way). Anyone think that I can cheap out again and use that to break up the sod before tilling? I know it does not do exactly the same job as a moldboard plow or middle buster, but as long as I am being cheap...

You aren't the only one who benefited from your question, I just had about 2 1/2 acres cleared and am reading everything I can about what to do next. My project will require a little more; while the stumps were pulled last summer I still have roots to contend with. I'll be cultivating this summer & planting buckwheat, and by spring 2013 I'll be where you are now. The above is helpful and valuable information.

 

[Stimw]

If you can afford it buying a 3 Pt tiller is a great way to go.
I got lucky and bought a 4'er used about 4 years ago for $500.
Knowing what I know now about how great it makes my soil, if I had to pay for new it would be well worth it!! It grinds up soil and any vegetation so fine kinda like saw dust. WAY better than a walk behind tiller ever does and much faster and easier.
Another plus is I till a couple plots for friends, no charge of course but if you needed to you could have a modest charge to help cover the cost.
To keep your plot costs down you can just fertilize around your crops instead of the whole plot. In coming years the plot will only get better as you keep working it.