Problems making beds and furrows... soil too clumpy?

[Gary Fowler]

Run your tiller over it lightly to break up the clumps so they will dry faster. Continue to run tiller waiting about 6 hours between passes, going a little deeper each time till it dries out, then you can hill it up. You aren't looking at deep tilling, just swapping the dirt around so it airs out

 

[kneedeep]

Too wet!!

 

[Ted Summey]

Rholmes69, I am very familiar with our red clay soil. I agree about it being too wet. When the soil can be picked up and squeezed and it does not make a clod or the clod crumbles after you squeeze it, it is ready to plant. Or when the soil can be knocked loose from your shoes with light stomping of your feet it is ready. If it sticks to your shoes or clumps on the bedder discs it is too wet.

I recommend tilling lightly to break as many of the clods as possible and letting it dry. the method Gary Fowler suggested is a good one. Till lightly, let dry, till again, let dry,till again. Those clods may take a year before they break up completely. You might get lucky with Tuesday's rain. It might break those clods.

From the looks of the soil some leaf compost and manure would be in order. I apply mine in the fall and till it in. The organic material helps prevent the clods. While my garden was a bit wet, I was able to plant on Saturday. The leaf compost and manure helped to keep the clods down. Additionally the darker soil will warm noticeably quicker.

 

[Ted Summey]

After checking the photos again, it looks like the top link needs to be a bit longer or those rear plow points need to be adjusted. Those wide sweeps should be plowing out your tire tracks. If you are packing the middles, it won't help future efforts to get rid of clods.

Your hills are plenty high enough. Less cloddy soil will "hill up more". The width of your discs, the depth of your loose soil and your forward speed will change the hill height and width.

Be patient and good luck. You will get it figured out and once you do, it will become second nature. FWIW I did make clods in the lower end of my garden on Saturday. I think they will work out eventually.

 

[rjwerth]

From the looks of the soil some leaf compost and manure would be in order. I apply mine in the fall and till it in. The organic material helps prevent the clods. While my garden was a bit wet, I was able to plant on Saturday. The leaf compost and manure helped to keep the clods down. Additionally the darker soil will warm noticeably quicker.

This would be my suggested answer as well......+1