Starting a new garden plot from scratch

[Triguy1]

If you can afford it buying a 3 Pt tiller is a great way to go.
I got lucky and bought a 4'er used about 4 years ago for $500.
Knowing what I know now about how great it makes my soil, if I had to pay for new it would be well worth it!! It grinds up soil and any vegetation so fine kinda like saw dust. WAY better than a walk behind tiller ever does and much faster and easier.
Another plus is I till a couple plots for friends, no charge of course but if you needed to you could have a modest charge to help cover the cost.
To keep your plot costs down you can just fertilize around your crops instead of the whole plot. In coming years the plot will only get better as you keep working it.

Thanks, I am planning to get the 3 point tiller soon, for all those reasons. It is somewhat hard to find a good used 4 ft. Model. I have just missed getting a couple on craigslist, one one the private party ads here. At this point I may just spend the money and get it from my Kubota dealer, they have the Taylor-way product. Now I am trying to decide if I should also get a plow. I figure, then I can call myself a farmer right.

 

[ajmbonaire]

I thought I would throw this out as I have benefited from all your advice several times now.

We have a new property in NW Ohio, and I am planning a good sized garden plot, probably a 1/2 acre or maybe a bit bigger to start with. The area I want to use is near the house and our pond, so only 3-4,feet from the water table. It was farm land a couple of decades ago so it should be decent for growing, though I am sending in a soil sample soon. Currently, the plot is basically lawn that has been let go to prairie. I know I should have started to prepare the area last fall, but there was so many other things to get done after moving here in July...

At this point my general idea is to cut the brush as soon as it is dry enough to get in with the tractor. Then the plan was to just get a 3pt rototiller to cut up the sod, then wait till planting time.

A second thought was to get a one bottom plow. (I have a BX2360) The soil is somewhat sandy in our region, so I am not sure that this is even necessary.

Im sure I will need to get some compost, manure etc, but I am planning to wait until I get soil sample back before worrying about that.

Any thoughts or advice is welcome.

Thanks,
Jon

Thanks for asking, Now I won't have to. I am also starting a garden from scratch and am gaining a lot if info. from this thread.

 

[Triguy1]

Thanks for asking, Now I won't have to. I am also starting a garden from scratch and am gaining a lot if info. from this thread.

No problem, I know just enough to get me in really deep trouble, so I like to ask questions a lot...

 

[Triguy1]

We were in your same position a little over three years ago. The sod was pretty thick. I used an inexpensive middle buster and "plowed" and plowed it and plowed it. A heavy disk would have sped up the rotting, but I didn't have one. No matter what you do, it just takes some time. The earlier you can get the roots torn up, the better.

Yes, loads of manure is also important as it helps to balance the soil and rot the heavy carbon load of the old plant/root matter.

I ran my walk behind tiller down the planting row, just before placing the seeds. No need to actually till the whole thing. It sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't. 2/3 of the ground is between the rows and does not need tilling. By July, there was no trace of the old sod.

We're organic market gardeners, so Round Up wasn't an option for us. As it turned out, it truly wasn't needed.

I've broken up about 1/4 acre more soil each of the following years, doing the same methods. I have added a field cultivator and a spring tooth drag harrow, which have been great additions.

Great info, also about the middle buster. I checked with my dealer and he said the one I got does not convert. I am not sure that I am satisfied with that answer, may have to see if I can rig something that will work. Seems a shame to have to buy a another attachment that is not much different

Thanks again.

 

[bp fick]

Look carefully at your implement. See if it has the standard two hole and square setup. At Agriculture, farm stores, and most dealers that sell stuff like this, they also sell all kinds of sweeps that may fit.
Wasco: Catalog - Sweeps

This site shows various kinds of sweeps. They are very inexpensive at stores like Farm Fleet, Blains, Atwoods, Rural King, etc.

 

[bp fick]

Tilling too much can cause over compaction and a layer of plow pan.

Yes indeed. That is actually the down side to the use a roto-tiller, either a walk behind or a pto driven. While it would seem great to have the soil pulverized into a fluff, it is indeed a major cause of compaction. It also so disrupts soil structure and health. The soil just collapses upon itself, as there is no structure to support it. That "fluff" can soon becomes a brick.

So, while the tiller certainly has its place in one's arsenal and the result is very esthetically appealing, over tilling in both large Ag operations and in gardening is not the panacea it was once thought to be. No till or limited tilling is taking over, as the soil/plant research just keeps supporting it.

 

[Triguy1]

Yes indeed. That is actually the down side to the use a roto-tiller, either a walk behind or a pto driven. While it would seem great to have the soil pulverized into a fluff, it is indeed a major cause of compaction. It also so disrupts soil structure and health. The soil just collapses upon itself, as there is no structure to support it. That "fluff" can soon becomes a brick.

So, while the tiller certainly has its place in one's arsenal and the result is very esthetically appealing, over tilling in both large Ag operations and in gardening is not the panacea it was once thought to be. No till or limited tilling is taking over, as the soil/plant research just keeps supporting it.

I have been trying to educate myself on just that mix. I would hate to think that means that I should not get the tiller. I do like to buy new tractor toys after all! However, if there is a good way get the job done without one, I would listen that. I am trying to do this as naturally, organically, and efficiently as possible. At this point, the produce will be just for our own use, as well as family and friend. But, I do have a somewhat vaguely outlined idea to expand latter on to Hobby status or even something like a CSA. I have 4-5 acres that could be used for that future project, but I know that I have some learning to do. Any insights are welcome.

 

[charlz]

I have been trying to educate myself on just that mix. I would hate to think that means that I should not get the tiller. I do like to buy new tractor toys after all! However, if there is a good way get the job done without one, I would listen that. I am trying to do this as naturally, organically, and efficiently as possible. At this point, the produce will be just for our own use, as well as family and friend. But, I do have a somewhat vaguely outlined idea to expand latter on to Hobby status or even something like a CSA. I have 4-5 acres that could be used for that future project, but I know that I have some learning to do. Any insights are welcome.

You already have a sub-soiler, its purpose its to rip the sub-soil thereby breaking up hardpan. Just plan on ripping it every few years or every year if you feel frisky. No till and low-till often require the increased use of herbicides to 'burn down' before planting.

In a garden you are not growing dense enough for your plants to 'shade out' the weeds. Typically the opposite will happen, nice crop of weeds and you have to really look to find your plants. Mulches can help but typically only for a while except for plastic mulches (sheeting). If you were doing a small raised garden or 'square foot' garden it is easy to keep up with the weeds. In a larger garden it is much more difficult/time consuming so being able to till before, during and after the growing season is part of weed control. Tilling can be with a machine or a hand held rake/weeder. Either way you are reducing weeds by disrupting the soil. If you can do it every 7 days or so the weeds don't have a chance to take hold.

 

[NorTracNY]

So at what size do people switch from raised bed gardening to row? I started out my garden with a tractor and plow, but after a few years I switched to raised beds and can't see ever wanting to go back. I found I could grow significantly more in just 40% of the row gardening area. My garden is only about 50X50 now. I'm sure there must be a point where if I wanted to go bigger, I'd have to abandon beds though. Anyone do raised beds in over an acre graden? Do it depend of the crops you want to grow?

 

[nue2farm]

I am with you gents in the learning all I can about a garden. We have had a few small gardens that went well. We also had an acre plot that failed big time due to the area staying to wet most of the season. Trying about a half acre this year. Need to resupply the home canned goods at home and at the cabin. Have fun and stay safe.....