when to till my garden ?

[potato boy]

I was just wondering when is a good time to till my garden. I plan on planting sweet corn and potatoes and need to know how soon to get the garden ready? Thanks !

[rainbowgardener]

Soon! Applestar's phenology guide says plant potatoes when the forsythia blooms. Where I am, that is NOW!!

[potato boy]

Well I would till it sometime this week but I have a foot of snow where I am!!!!

[rainbowgardener]

When the soil can be worked is tilling time. That means the ground is unfrozen and dried out enough to be crumbly, not clumpy. If you squeeze some in your hand it should form a loose ball, that falls apart easily. If it forms a tight, solid ball, it is too wet. If you till when wet, it will clump up and stay clumped all season!

If you still have a foot of snow, probably your forsythias aren't blooming yet either! Do you even have forsythia that far north?

[potato boy]

Yes we do and I haven't seen any at all !

[Farmer Joyce Beggs]

I always strat tilling in January, to control weed growth, specially tilling those leaves in the dirt before Spring.

But it never too late. Starting tilling those unwanted grasses before they bloom and produce seeds.