Help a dumb city boy

[HEC]

I agree with the tiller but you might want to pick up a used 1 bottom plow for new ground , for ground with a cover crop etc. and a used cutivator also . You can usually find used plows and cultivators quite cheap . They have some excellent how to videos on Everything Attachments web site and on you tube . Have Fun

 

[Western]

I agree with getting your AG agent out, he will make recommendations for free, "boots on the ground": so to speak. Ditto on the soil sample as well.
1/2 acre garden is pretty darn big, possible, but you may want to try smaller and in the mean time, maybe plant some fruit trees?

I'm with the tiller idea if you can swing one, just remember as good a job as one does, you will only use it 4-5 times a year (but hard to beat) During grow season you will likely need a smaller tiller for between he rows.

I bet you could get a farmer close by to plow it for you, good way to meet a great source of info too. Personally, I would pass on using weed/grass killer, not necessary IMO and could be there awhile possibly. They didn't use it in the old days and did quite well.

 

[Ted Summey]

When I was plowing my garden (I use a 72" tiller now) I plowed in the late fall when the moisture content would allow the soil/sod to roll but the tractor wouldn't spin much. The freeze-thaw cycle would help break the soil up.

In the early spring, I would disc the garden when the soil was dry enough not to form gravelly sods. I pulled a treated 4"x6" timber "float" behind the disc to help level and break clods. I used chains on each side of the disc to hold the timber parallel to the back of the disc.

For planting I use a set of hiller discs to layout my rows. My hiller discs are attached to a cultivating tractor but 3 point hitch hiller attachments are not expensive. Dependent upon how you want to incorporate your fertilizer you may want to add fertilizer distribution to either your hiller or cultivator. The low cost way is to apply fertilizer by hand before making your rows- this is completely adequate but does require additional labor.

I was fortunate that I learned from my father-in-law the basics of getting a garden started. Make friends with an farmer or gardener neighbor, you will learn a lot from swapping some help.

BTW a 3 point hitch tiller is an awesome machine. Using the method described above would take hours and multiple passes over the garden. The tiller makes garden prep quick and only requires two or three passes at most. A lot of the time a single pass will prep the garden for the rows to be laid out on ground that has been used for garden previously or plowed in the fall.

 

[Mike Travis]

Thanks jstpssng and Ed,

This is helpful info which I will save. We had not thought of selling anything as we were planning to can most of it to hold us over the winter. we are also sharing the farming and food with three neighbors who will also be doing some planting. It seems like a good way to grow crops as we will mostly plant different vegetables in our 3 plots.

I like the idea of a tiller as it may also save fuel if I read you right that we can do all the soil prep in one pass. Thanks again for all the advice.

Mike

 

[Ed of all trades]

No problem, The big thing about gardening is know that some years are better than others even when you have been doing it for years. Keep asking questions and you will get there.

 

[Jstpssng]

I believe that he knows more than he realizes... which also helps him to ask the right questions. Planting on plastic is also helpful to keep the weeds down.. especially since you'll apparently be starting in newly opened soil. you might want to read this thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/309743-time-put-down-plastic-6.html#post3768506
You can lay plastic without the tractor although it's more labor intensive... it sounds like you have plenty of help though. :thumbsup:
Next year the same technique can help you plant earlier.

 

[motownbrowne]

1. Soil test
2. Visit other farms that are doing what you want to do. Don't reinvent the wheel.
3. Rototiller or Spader
4. Research
-Elliott Coleman
-Joel Salatin
-Mark Shepard
5. Check out MOSES, not the one in your Book. And SARE and ATTRA

Good luck.

 

[EddieWalker]

We just started our first garden this year and are learning as we go. First thing for use was to clear the trees, then level the ground and put up a fence. Once that was all done, I ran a disk through the soil over and over again until it was fine powder. We didn't test the soil because we are in the learning what will grow in our soil and what wont. If the plants we want grow fine, then there isn't any need to spend a lot of money on improving it.

I'm guessing we have 3 dozen different types of veggies planted and after a month, all are growing great. Especially the weeds!!!!

As of now, the only big change we are going to make is getting a 6 foot rotary tiller. The disk gets the job done, but it's not flat and it takes a lot of hand shovel work to level it off and get the dirt how we want it. From watching youtube video's, the tiller looks perfect!!!

Trial and Error is my plan. Every year you will just get better.

Eddie

 

[motownbrowne]

The tiller is your friend. Tillage, however is not a friend of your soil. I'm not saying not to till, and when I say tillage, i'm talking about plows, harrows, tillers etc. Just try to be aware of that and use as little tillage as possible. Discing until your soil is a "fine powder" is over-tillage.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Your local extension office probably will offer it and is a good place to start. It will probably be <$20, and will give a breakdown of what nutrients are needed and the best amendments to get there.

This link Counties.
should bring you to a list of what offices serve your county.

Also, this brochure http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/pdf/1132.pdf offered by your state will answer many of your questions on the subject.

An acre is a pretty good sized undertaking...

Ed of all trades gave yousome very worthwhile advice. :thumbsup:

An acre is indeed a lot of garden! We started out with a 40X50 garden spot, and I worked it pretty well with a walk-behind-tiller, but it was still a lot of work. If you have ever spent an hour or two picking green beans, you know what I mean. We usually concentrated on tomatoes, a few squash, leaf lettuce and some peppers and cucumbers. For a year or two, we planted about half the garden with corn. Takes a lot of room for corn in order for it to pollenate, but nothing like fresh corn in the freezer. We finally figured out that planting pole beans saved our backs. Any way, good luck, and make sure you consider how much work each veggie will take.

We have some pick-your-own farms in this area; they concentrate mainly on peaches and berries, so they get to skip most of the picking. They do a lot of business, and the stuff is pretty expensive. Sweet corn sells like gang busters here, but they do the picking and you have to get it right of the field and freeze it up that day to retain the freshness and sweetness.