Asking for advice on using a rental 3ph tiller for a first-time user

[RoyJackson]

I think the OP has decided to outsource the work (good plan)...so, many of your posts are no longer applicable

 

[old and tired]

I think the OP has decided to outsource the work (good plan)...so, many of your posts are no longer applicable

Thank you...

 

[Tony H]

You have the same soil SS I do. I also have a BCS (tractor) model 732 with several attachments. It is a tough machine but not intended for virgin soil of this type. A tiller on the tractor is the way to go. Till super slow, don't go crazy with the rpms, hand on the Lift. When tiller starts to bounce on a rock, lift tiller move forward then stop down again. A Helper to get that rock out of there will save the same issue next year.

 

[jgoodma1]

Thank you everyone for your advice. My plan at this point is to possibly use the subsoiler to break up the ground so I have better water penetration and then contract out the rest of the work. I appreciate everyone's help.

 

[nyone]

My thinking on this is that I will have a lot of planting beds where I'll be planting shrubs with deeper root systems and I'm trying to get the soil in better shape deeper down, so I'm going to till organic compost into the clay to improve the soil.

Just amend the soil in your beds where your planting plants. For me amending soil is removing about 1/2 the dirt and mixing in aged manure. My soil is so crappy it hardly grows grass/weeds. Yet I currently have 6 healthy apple trees, 45 norway spruce, a 25x32ft garden and 10 blueberry bushes. None of this was done with a tiller or any huge machine. 75% of the work was done in the last 2yrs.

The best soil is built from the top down and where you really need good soil mix it in. Theres an art to planting in clay soil. I suggest you look into it a bit. It's not terribly hard to do.

 

[jgoodma1]

Just amend the soil in your beds where your planting plants. For me amending soil is removing about 1/2 the dirt and mixing in aged manure. My soil is so crappy it hardly grows grass/weeds. Yet I currently have 6 healthy apple trees, 45 norway spruce, a 25x32ft garden and 10 blueberry bushes. None of this was done with a tiller or any huge machine. 75% of the work was done in the last 2yrs.

The best soil is built from the top down and where you really need good soil mix it in. Theres an art to planting in clay soil. I suggest you look into it a bit. It's not terribly hard to do.

Thank you!