Ground Prep for SPring garden

[imported_Charliechan]

I recently scraped a couple inches of dirt/coastal bermuda off of my 100X100 spring garden with my box blade. I put the digging claws in the fully extended mode, hoping that they would simulate the action of a tiller. Although they did tear up some dirt, it didn't really give me the affect I was looking for. I'm trying to prep the soil, which is black, but gooey, like clay under the layer of topsoil. I might be able able to swing one implement so should I go for a plow, or invest in a tiller ? or is there some other device that will help prep the ground and make croprows ?

Any help appreciated.

CHarliechan
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Bird]

Maybe it depends on how much gardening you do, but the tiller was my most used implement, so I'd have to have one if I were going to do any gardening.

 

[imported_Charliechan]

That's what I thought, but unfortunately that's also the most expensive solution. At least at a glance. I guess I'll start looking for a cheap/used tiller in my area.

/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Glenn9643]

Sounds like the soil is too wet to work. If you can squeeze a handful and it doesn't break apart readily it's too wet, and trying to tear it up will result in big clods that will remain hard for a long time. You can easily cause more damage than good in this situation. Wait until it's dry enough to work, but you could spread some organic matter over it any time. Then have the soil tested to see what you need. If it's stiff clay you probably need to add organic matter to help loosen it up. I understand that agricultural gypsum helps to loosen clay soils. I would try to spread something like that over it and disk it in after it's dry enough. Then you can throw up rows if you want with a cultivator frame and sweeps or disk hillers.

 

[imported_Charliechan]

very good insight, as a matter of fact, it had just rained several inches days before. I will give it a little drying out time and try again with the box blade to try to loosen it up and I have plenty of cow manure to add to it. Do I have to use dried cow manure, or can I pile in the wet stuff too ?

thanks again ! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Bird]

I've had some experience with the clods Glenn mentioned from working the ground when it was too wet. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif But some years, you don't have much choice if you want to get a garden planted at the right time. The old dried cow manure is best, but when I first started my garden spot in the country, I tilled it in the Fall, then put a round bale of hay in the middle and let the neighbors cows in there to feed. When that bale was gone, we put out another one, just a little ways from the first one. So in the Spring, I had what was left of the hay, and what the cows had dropped, to till in. The only problem was that the hay had too much grass seed in it, so that first year, I fought the grass that was trying to grow in the garden.

 

[raynman]

Charliechan

The only bad thing about using cow manure is that with the high nitrogen it promotes weed growth.

There is a reason to let it sit, or so I have been told, just can't remember what it was /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I have really heavy thick clay in my home area and the best thing I found for adding organic matter is grass clippings.

 

[EastTexFrank]

It sounds as if you have good ol' Texas black gumbo clay. It'll soak up water like a sponge during the wet season and dry and crack like cement during the summer. It's terrible stuff to try and make a garden out of but it is extremely fertile, it'll grow just about anything. However it does need lots of "loosening" up. Cow manure is good, horse manure is probably the best ammendment that I've found. If you use it straight from the "producer" it will contain lots of weed and grass seeds. That's why horse manure is probably better, they're usually kept stabled and fed high quality hay with less weeds. You can use it fresh because it's not too strong and it's great stuff. If you can compost it for a year, it's even better. The heat generated during composting will kill a lot of the weed seeds.
As for working it into the soil, I think a tiller is the way to go. You can use other tools to get the job done but a tiller would definitely be the best. Like Bird said, it'll end up being one of your more used impliments. Yea, they're not cheap but they aren't that much more expensive than one of the better, bigger walk behind tillers and they are a whole lot easier on a tired old body like mine.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Around here a used Grey market tiller with good tines runs about 250 to 300 dollars.

 

[PineRidge]

I agree with Taylortractornut if you are looking for a bargain on a tiller, plow, or disc check out some local auctions for used farm equipment. Our local auction here in Ohio is Roger's and I have seen usable implements sell very reasonable. They actually auction it all including tractors, wagons, dozer's, etc.

It's really a great way to spend a beautiful summer day. I almost always take a trailer with me, you never know when you're going to see something that you just gotta have. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif