Yesterday was the first chance I have used my new First Choice 52' Tiller. I laid out the plot for a new garden about 50'x75'. I was worried that the Kioti CK25HST would not be able to handle it, but it had no problem. I had to get in Low range and go as slow as I could crawl to keep the Tiller from jumping to much and to keep the load down on the engine. This ground is all clay and it was hard. I managed to get it the full depth in one pass. Now, what should I use to amend the clay to get more of a good garden loam soil?
Tiller First time with tiller
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The biggest problem I have with my tiller is getting the ground to soft. My yanmar tiller will till up the ground so much that you just sink into it when you try to walk on it.
I also have issues at the end of rows when Ieither dig a ditch or pile up a pile of dirt.
I also have issues at the end of rows when Ieither dig a ditch or pile up a pile of dirt.
shoppintractors
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<font color="blue">I was worried that the Kioti CK25HST would not be able to handle it, but it had no problem. I managed to get it the full depth in one pass. </font>
As you probably know there has been some discussions in the Kioti forum regarding the capabilities of the CK25. This is excellent news!
<font color="blue">Now, what should I use to amend the clay to get more of a good garden loam soil? </font>
I use compost. I collect all my leaves in the fall and let them breakdown in a compost pile. Then I rototill them into the garden the following spring.
Don
As you probably know there has been some discussions in the Kioti forum regarding the capabilities of the CK25. This is excellent news!
<font color="blue">Now, what should I use to amend the clay to get more of a good garden loam soil? </font>
I use compost. I collect all my leaves in the fall and let them breakdown in a compost pile. Then I rototill them into the garden the following spring.
Don
RobS
Super Member
Growing up we had clay soil. My dad was quite the gardener, which seems to have skipped me. He always added sand to the clay soil, in addition to plenty of compost and such. Said the sand grains would break up the clay. Not sure if it's true but I do remember shoveling a lot of sand into the garden plots /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Bowhunter
Gold Member
The sand also helps a lot with drainage. A soil that is mostly clay will stay wet for a long time after a rain. Some people I know use sawdust from furniture factories or lumber yards for compost. A lumber yard may be better because you'd be more likely to get pure wood and less likely to get plywood, MDF, and the glue that comes with it. Till this into your soil in the fall so it can break down over the winter. Leaves and grass clippings like mentioned above also add good nutrients to the soil.
EastTexFrank
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Aren't tillers wonderful????
I've used sand in the past but usually on smaller areas than your 50' x 75'. It'll take quite a bit of sand to make a difference if your clay is real bad. Just add anything organic and till it in ... the more the better. If you can compost it, better still. It just depends what you have access to. I used to find that riding stables were a great source of material. They are usually only too happy for you to get rid of some of their stuff from cleaning the stalls, manure, straw and all. It's great stuff once it's composted. Around where I am, dairy farms are another good source although it needs to be composted ... too many weed seeds otherwise. I just use anything I can get my hands on. If it's fresh manure, I usually compost it but if I do add it directly to the garden, I usually do it in the late fall after clean-up, and let it break down some over the winter before tilling and planting in the spring.
Gary, I never have found a good solution to the trench or pile problem at the end of rows. I even tried tilling in a circle once. Now, after I finish tilling, I make one last pass, tilling in one direction. At least that way I end up with the trench at one end of the garden and a pile at the other.
I've used sand in the past but usually on smaller areas than your 50' x 75'. It'll take quite a bit of sand to make a difference if your clay is real bad. Just add anything organic and till it in ... the more the better. If you can compost it, better still. It just depends what you have access to. I used to find that riding stables were a great source of material. They are usually only too happy for you to get rid of some of their stuff from cleaning the stalls, manure, straw and all. It's great stuff once it's composted. Around where I am, dairy farms are another good source although it needs to be composted ... too many weed seeds otherwise. I just use anything I can get my hands on. If it's fresh manure, I usually compost it but if I do add it directly to the garden, I usually do it in the late fall after clean-up, and let it break down some over the winter before tilling and planting in the spring.
Gary, I never have found a good solution to the trench or pile problem at the end of rows. I even tried tilling in a circle once. Now, after I finish tilling, I make one last pass, tilling in one direction. At least that way I end up with the trench at one end of the garden and a pile at the other.
Glenn9643
Veteran Member
Some people I know use sawdust from furniture factories or lumber yards for compost.
Emphasize the last two words: FOR COMPOST
Sawdust straight from the mill added to the soil will rob the soil of nitrogen as it decomposes. Sawdust can be used in conjunction with "greens" in your compost pile, and helps to provide the needed carbons and eliminate stinky compost piles. Sawdust or wood chips added directly to the soil won't rot nearly as fast as you would think. Adding them into a hot compost pile will speed things up a great deal.
Emphasize the last two words: FOR COMPOST
Sawdust straight from the mill added to the soil will rob the soil of nitrogen as it decomposes. Sawdust can be used in conjunction with "greens" in your compost pile, and helps to provide the needed carbons and eliminate stinky compost piles. Sawdust or wood chips added directly to the soil won't rot nearly as fast as you would think. Adding them into a hot compost pile will speed things up a great deal.
Mark4510
Gold Member
I am not much of a gardner but I know that (as stated previously) the mix of shavings, manure and straw we pull out of the horse stalls is in demand. One time there were a couple of guys loading the shavings that got into a pretty heated discussion regarding the best way to compost and how much to add to any given soil. What I do recall, which has already been mentioned here, is that you probably need to add something like grass clippings to keep the nitrogen levels up.
You might also wander over to Country by Net and see if any of the experts there can help.
Mark
You might also wander over to Country by Net and see if any of the experts there can help.
Mark
Bird
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sawdust or wood chips added directly to the soil won't rot nearly as fast as you would think )</font>
I guess it depends on how fast you think it will break down. I never bothered with "composting", but I tilled in all the sawdust and wood chips I could get directly into the garden and was actually amazed at how fast it all broke down and disappeared.
I guess it depends on how fast you think it will break down. I never bothered with "composting", but I tilled in all the sawdust and wood chips I could get directly into the garden and was actually amazed at how fast it all broke down and disappeared.
I've been reading about fixing clay, since I have a lot of it. From what I read, adding sand to the clay is a no-no, unless you mix it 7 parts sand to 1 part clay; this could mean adding up to a foot of sand, which isn't very practical.
Any less, the material tells me, and you end up with a concrete like mixture.
What was recommended to me was adding a LOT of compost. I'm heading to the zoo-doo place and getting a coupla trailer loads of that to try.
I'm also sending in a soil sample before spending any more $$$$.
As far as tilling, if it's for a garden, deep might be good. I tried deep where I was planting grass and it was a mess. Any more than 2" is way overkill for grass. The ground never did firm up for the grass seed.
My two cents.
ron
Any less, the material tells me, and you end up with a concrete like mixture.
What was recommended to me was adding a LOT of compost. I'm heading to the zoo-doo place and getting a coupla trailer loads of that to try.
I'm also sending in a soil sample before spending any more $$$$.
As far as tilling, if it's for a garden, deep might be good. I tried deep where I was planting grass and it was a mess. Any more than 2" is way overkill for grass. The ground never did firm up for the grass seed.
My two cents.
ron