Tiller Seeking advice best time to till

[clemsonfor]

Hey bilrus61. There is a good deal of hay on the second floor which is probably equally old. Any use for that?

Put it in the garden, you wont have weeds! It will act as a mulch shading the ground so weeds cant germinate as well as hold soil moisture in. I use to use the landscape fabric, till last year when i tried hay, after then i was hooked. I have maybe spent 15 minutes pulling weeds this year. It makes your garden weedfree or 99% that is!

 

[Villengineer]

For customers who absolutely will not allow me to use roundup for new gardens, I scalp the area and then cover it with tarps or black plastic. Let everything die and then till it. I till about half of my customers' gardens both spring and fall. I do initial cut-in's whenever they call and it's condusive. Moisture content of the soil vs tillability is completely dependent on the soil type and varies garden to garden.

 

[Haoleguy]

Geobar - Lots of good ideas and many ways to accomplish what you want except for the use of herbicides suggested by some. Soil health and structure is the key to your planting success. That includes minerals, pH, organic matter, and microbes in an environment that has the right balance of water retention/drainage and air infiltration. Soil test is key and then using soil amendments that bring your soil into targeted pH and mineral levels. You have stages to go through. At this time you can deal with the weeds and get the soil test. In the Fall add your soil amendments, based on soil test results, and lightly work them in and do a rough shape of your beds. In the Spring work in any cover crop or mulch and finish shaping. Your ready to plant. In subsequent years add compost in the Fall and essentially eliminate tilling activities except deep tilling/spading to relieve any compaction problems. My spouse's plot took off tremendously in the second year...the first year was meah...partially from weather and partially from lack of good soil amendments in the previous Fall. Have fun.

 

[bp fick]

If it were my new patch, I'd likely work it now. I'd allow any seeds to sprout and work again. Just about as effective as using chemicals, which we also cannot/do not use in our operation, of course. I don't see much harm in getting your organic material into the soil now and allow the structure building to begin. That's just me.

Farm With Junk's statement is so true. No one can make "absolutes" about much in this matter. Each soil plot, each micro-climate is so different. Local knowledge is invaluable. If you're trying to be chemical free in your gardening project, talk with local organic gardeners, especially any Mennonite/Amish farmers or gardeners in your area. A wealth of knowledge there.

Observation is about your best friend as you watch the soil and plants respond to what you are doing. Oh, and best wishes for your future success.