Rennovating a garden

[jeff9366]

I may also want to sell at some point - not sure how much of a market there is for this kind of thing.

Use it. Keep it. Once the controls are loosened up and adjusted you have a subsoiler superior to any TPH/Category 1 size, Three Point Hitch subsoiler marketed today.

At a farm auction your subsoiler would likely sell for $30 to $60. If you could duplicate that iron beast today you would pay $600 or more.

 

[jyoutz]

What is the business name?

A Google search for DANFORD, KENTUCKY yields nothing.

IDK. EA told me it shipped from the factory and the shipment originated in Danford, KY. EA sells them, but doesn’t manufacture them. I sure like mine and I converted to category 2 pins.

 

[DJ54]

I too use leaves as mulch around set plants. Just leave them lay over the winter, and plow down in the Spring. They will pretty well be broken down into compost by then, and less chance to deplete N out of the soil. Night Crawlers and red worms love them, and will feed on them year round, if thick enough.2 pluses from that, is worm castings, and their tunnels, allowing water to drain away naturally.

I plant Oats on my potato patch yearly as a cover crop, but, I'm far enough North, I get a Winter kill. And, snow pack normally presses it right to the ground, so turning under is not a problem. Last year, I added Buckwheat which may work better for you. Adds lots of OM, and breaks down quick. Don't know that I will this year, because of rising seed prices.

Daikon Radishes make a great natural aerator, and see is relatively cheap. Roots can grow as deep as 3', and will penetrate hardpan. A good maintenance plan, once you get the hard pan broken mechanically. I sow some in row, as trap plants for cucurbits, and get the full benefit of the summer growth. I plan to sow some in with the Oats this Fall after I did potatoes. They will grow fast enough, to grow though any hardpan I may have in that area.

I also use a David Bradley walk behind tractor to cultivate my row crops, not use a walk behind tiller, at least most of the time. The only time I use my tiller, is when plants get too tall, or rows grow in, and get tooo narrow to use the D-B. But, I made a tail wheel for my tiller, and only till the top 2" of soil. Just deep enough to grubout most weeds, and leave them on top to dry and die. Any deeper, you're only bringing more weed seeds to the surface to germinate and grow. I originally built it to till through the leaf mulch, when I'd get weeds growing on top of the leaf mulch in wet years. Weed seeds came from some weeds that grew alongside the leaf pile, and deposited seeds in the leaves. Just wasn't proactive in keeping them mowed off, or sprayed. But, I've found the tail wheel works great for shallow tilling on bare dirt.

 

[kubota shifty]

I have 150' x 30' garden I've been planting for over 20 years. Over time it has become less and less productive. I think I have a couple issues. One is nutrient depletion and the other is a rock hard subsoil. ......................................

I cover my garden with about 18" of composted horse manure every fall! In the spring I first mow it and then rip with the tines inserted in the box scraper. I push out the weeds with the front loader. I wait until the ground is dry enough to not get stuck but still moist underneath. Over 20 years it went from hard clay to very nice soil even below the manure. I used to have to use a breaker bar just to bury the compost! All the veggies do great.

 

[Foozle]

Foozle I was so taken aback by you posting that picture, I went to search your profile and see if you had other bizarre postings. Looks like you haven't said much lately so I have to take your word you aren't just messing with us with coming here all coy like saying you have this hard soil and no tool to deal with it then drag that beast out of the weeds claiming you've let it set because you are afraid you might harm it if you use it. Then comes the cherry on top about selling it. So YES,if you are in earnest with everything you've said,by all means take a torch to it and sell it for scrap before you lose a hand trying to hook it up to a tractor or stagger into it possibly killing yourself.

Sorry my post seemed bizarre to you, but I was serious. Given the age and rust on the implement, I wasn't sure it would still be functional, but sounds like it might be fine - I just need to learn the controls and give it a go. If it turns out to be useable, I'll keep it, of course. If not, I'll try to sell.

 

[tstex]

Fooz,

If you have an auger, mark a line of holes and stager them about 5-7 ft and then go for it...you can then back fill the holes till about 6-9 inches, then put compost/manure. I would buy x or xx 50lb bags of granulated molasses, spread across entire top of garden, then till/disc into soil make sure soil is not wet or too moist when adding granulated molasses. GM will provide a spectacular burst of microbes that will resolve 80% of your nutrient needs and help to aerate the soil. The holes you made, when filling w a good compost, add granulated molasses in the holes too.

As stated, I would do a soil test also to determine if you are way off w any mineral or main component. Correct, then after doing the above, test again in early spring. you will not believe what the granulated molasses can do for you. It will take sterile soil and greatly enrich it.

 

[OLLIEDOG#1]

Gypsum, read about its benefits for hard soil.
Soil test
Compost

 

[Tony H]

If you are bringing in trailers of manure, tilling that into what you have should elevate the subsoil issue, I would think.

 

[MMC]

What is the business name?

A Google search for DANFORD, KENTUCKY yields nothing.

Try Stanford, KY on Danville (KY) Road...

 

[Yander]

Good compost material will help with water retention. The suggestion to plant a fall cover crop is excellent because you are essentially growing your own compost.

Watch out for what you haul in. It may be full of weed seeds that later germinate in your garden.

Yes, what a lot of people don't realize is a leaf will retain 5 times it's weight in moisture. Leaf mulch is awesome for building soil and the organic matter will help with moisture retention. I don't know that there is much better for your garden honestly.

You can collect leaves in the fall from city folks that put them at the curb. Grind them up with your mower so they are fine. Flip them about 4 or 5 times over the winter and moisten the pile each time you flip it. Little bit of a hassle but by spring, you can put it right on your garden and work it in and it will be fantastic. As you turn it over the winter you will see worms up in it because it is warm. Which means, they are breaking it down all winter long and putting worm castings in it all winter long.

The pile needs to be a good 4 feet tall to start and large enough that it will heat up. It will break down and shrink over the winter.