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btrowe1
- Senior Member
- Posts: 202
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:57 pm
- Location: South Glens Falls Ny,Zone 4B
Tilling question
Not sure where to post this but figured here would be a good start, I purchased a front tine tiller, Its new and I bought it for a good price, I found that it doesn't work to well tilling old grass like a lawn section, I want to enlarge my garden, It works great on the already old garden section, But I found if I pulled it backwards it does real good at turning up the new area,just a bit of arm work. Here's my question (s) The grass clumps that are left over from the new tilled area should I contiune to go over them and get them cut up and buried under or should I rake them out and add them to my compost and let them decompose that way, I'm gonna have A LOT of grass as I seem to be adding about a 20 x 25 foot spot, gardens probably gonna end up being 20 x 40, Never really used a front tiller before any suggestions would help there also. Thanks..
Well, now you're finding out about one of the biggest drawbacks associated with front tine tillers when cutting new garden. They will make you arm weary the first time you turn over the new area where sod is concerned.
If it were me, I'd take the grass out and put it in the compost pile since I'm assuming you want to use this new space this year. I'd take any clumps and shake off as much soil as I could then pile it up and let it rot away from the new bed.
The only suggestion I can offer is to cut the new soil in shallow passes and not try to make it real deep as you go. It may take a bit longer but I don't believe it is as strenuous as trying to make it full depth in one or two passes.
If it were me, I'd take the grass out and put it in the compost pile since I'm assuming you want to use this new space this year. I'd take any clumps and shake off as much soil as I could then pile it up and let it rot away from the new bed.
The only suggestion I can offer is to cut the new soil in shallow passes and not try to make it real deep as you go. It may take a bit longer but I don't believe it is as strenuous as trying to make it full depth in one or two passes.
I second the "take light cuts" advice - it is much less strenuous especially with a front tine model.
as to the grass clumps, do not leave them in the garden soil. you'll have enough little bitty chunks of grass - rake up and pile what you can - you can't get it all and it's a real nuisance dealing with 'ex-grass' the first year or two.
I just piled mine up high as I could in the garden; the center portions will die off, you can "re-pile" the heap to smother new sprouts on the surfaces. or the compost heap - really doesn't matter where. you can also cover the pile with a tarp to help the smothering along.
and you'll need lots of mulch - not wood chip type mulch. I used many bales of straw the first two years to keep 4-6 inches on top of the "new patch" I ran the straw thru the leaf chopping blades of a chipper / shredder to make it a bit finer and more easily 'spread'
btw, don't feel too bad about the tiller choice - I had a front tine for nearly 20 years, when it died I got a rear tine model. except for the mega-machines, "sod busting" is a chore with either design.
oh, almost forgot - a tip for tilling into compacted soil... make your passes, the the next set of passes at 90 degrees. in hard soil tillers tend to leave 'underground ridges' that make the life of a tiller miserable - alternating directions 90 degrees busts up the ridges . . .
as to the grass clumps, do not leave them in the garden soil. you'll have enough little bitty chunks of grass - rake up and pile what you can - you can't get it all and it's a real nuisance dealing with 'ex-grass' the first year or two.
I just piled mine up high as I could in the garden; the center portions will die off, you can "re-pile" the heap to smother new sprouts on the surfaces. or the compost heap - really doesn't matter where. you can also cover the pile with a tarp to help the smothering along.
and you'll need lots of mulch - not wood chip type mulch. I used many bales of straw the first two years to keep 4-6 inches on top of the "new patch" I ran the straw thru the leaf chopping blades of a chipper / shredder to make it a bit finer and more easily 'spread'
btw, don't feel too bad about the tiller choice - I had a front tine for nearly 20 years, when it died I got a rear tine model. except for the mega-machines, "sod busting" is a chore with either design.
oh, almost forgot - a tip for tilling into compacted soil... make your passes, the the next set of passes at 90 degrees. in hard soil tillers tend to leave 'underground ridges' that make the life of a tiller miserable - alternating directions 90 degrees busts up the ridges . . .
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greenstubbs
- Senior Member
- Posts: 274
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:41 pm
- Location: Far Upper Alabama
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btrowe1
- Senior Member
- Posts: 202
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:57 pm
- Location: South Glens Falls Ny,Zone 4B
Thank you for the replys,
I'm going to use all the ideas, Big compost pile yes, spot filler also.. Dogs left a few pee stains after this winter, looks like they"ll go away real quick this year.
90 degree angle, never would have thought of that, I'll try it out this weekend,
With the weather the way it's supposed to be over the next week, working outside so early won"t feel so bad.
With the early warmth and looking at that tilled ground it's gonna make me want to plant something a bit too early for up here.
Thanks again..
I'm going to use all the ideas, Big compost pile yes, spot filler also.. Dogs left a few pee stains after this winter, looks like they"ll go away real quick this year.
90 degree angle, never would have thought of that, I'll try it out this weekend,
With the weather the way it's supposed to be over the next week, working outside so early won"t feel so bad.
With the early warmth and looking at that tilled ground it's gonna make me want to plant something a bit too early for up here.
Thanks again..
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
After tilling we use a [url=https://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=manure+fork&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=571&wrapid=tlif133187356829610&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=6656978118746388911&sa=X&ei=sshiT_69N-vaiQLO5tz-CA&ved=0CJIBEPMCMAA#]fork like this[/url] to sift out the sod pieces. Much easier on the back.
Eric
Eric
I just used a mantis tiller to redo an old garden from years ago... it couldn't handle the land.. and when I was done - my arms were killing me!
so I went back to using a spade shovel and removing/shaking out the sod! takes longer, but I'll appreciate it all later when I'm harvesting all my peppers and other vegetables. I should mention too that the land I live on was a well know farm way back when - you can grow just about anything on it without even really trying.
so I went back to using a spade shovel and removing/shaking out the sod! takes longer, but I'll appreciate it all later when I'm harvesting all my peppers and other vegetables. I should mention too that the land I live on was a well know farm way back when - you can grow just about anything on it without even really trying.