Help planting garden?

Question

The previous owner of my house had a tractor and left very large tire ruts in the soil (clay). I'm trying to break the clay down to plant some vegetables but I can't break the clay down. I've rented a Honda tiller, but I think the tines are not working well and wont really dig into the ground. Is there any way to reclaim this soil? It seems that there is a difference between cultivators and tillers...maybe I have the wrong one?

Please offer any advice...right now the only thing growing is the blisters on my hands from working with this tiller.

Thanks for all the help...it will be hard to choose a best answer. They are all so good!

Right now, My wife and I live on a 5 acre farm in southwest Ohio...it's been VERY dry and hot. Although we have 5 acres, we are only looking to till a 200sq.ft. area (10'x20'). We have tons of old horse manure (or black gold as my wife likes to call it) and we'll use as much as we can to keep costs down.

Answer 1

If it is one of those small Honda tillers like mine then it won't break up compacted soil. You can rent a big tiller and it will do the trick because I've had to rent one myself. With the little one I first turn over the soil with a shovel then till. Anyhow, after you get your soil tilled then you can amend it with sand, peat, manure, topsoil, and dried grass clippings and then till it all together again. Mulch the area with straw and keep watered and you will be ready to start gardening next spring. Your soil won't be perfect but for every year you amend and work your soil the better it will get. It only takes a few seasons to turn clay into beautiful rich soil.

Answer 2

A rear tined tiller will help, but this time of year, depending on how much rain you get the clay gets pretty hard. From your description, it sounds like that's your case. If you want to get a garden in this year, building raised beds are the way to go, but you would need to get some soil from somewhere else so it might get a little expensive.

You are looking at a long term project. You need to get some organic material into the clay. You can start at any time. Get some horse or cow manure or leaves, grass clippings or compost. Put a good layer over the garden area and give it a good watering each day for a week or so. After that the clay should start being able to be tilled. Till the organic material into the soil. If you wanted to try to plant something then you could, or you could sow a quick growing grass that you would eventually till under as a "green manure." This fall, put a good layer of organic material over the garden area and till that in next spring. The layer of organic material will keep the soil warmer and keep the worms up in the soil. You can also add some gypsum which will aid in breaking the clay up.

After a year or two of this, you will have excellent soil, but keep this up and you will have the best garden in town.

Visit our website for more soil improvement ideas at-
http://www.gardening-at-the-crossroads.com/soil-improvement.html

Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!

Answer 3

Clay can be impossible to do much with when it is too dry. Try watering it down before you go out to work it. You want it moist but not real wet. Till in Lots of organic matter. It can be anything, leaves, grass clippings, compost, sand. Gypsum is good for breaking up clay soil also, but might change the PH more then you want it too without doing a soil test. The biggest thing is to use a lot of whatever you are using to amend the soil and work it in well.

Answer 4

You may need to get someone to plow the ground. I don't know where you live, but I would try to find a neighbor farmer or greenhouse owner who has an actual plow and get him to plow up the ground. then go in there with your rototiller and run that through. Especially if it's clay. Add compost or peat moss and nutrients. Sometimes, if it's a new garden, it's hard to break it up and get it tillable. If you can't find a farmer, maybe a different kind of tiller would be in order. Try to find a farmer type of business to ask questions. Maybe the extension agent for your county could help. Meanwhile, I recommend nuetrogenas fishermans handcream. Good luck!

Answer 5

Try finding a Troybuilt tiller to rent. They are the best that we've used, the higher horsepower models.
Depending on where you live it might be better to plant a cover crop over the summer, fall and winter, and then try some veggies. That will help soften up your clay soil and add nutrients to it.

Answer 6

i planted a small garden up until a few years ago when my heart finally got so bad i can't do it any more. i love burp less cucumbers and can't eat the regular, and sliced tomatoes and squash and corn on the cob and green beans. many years ago i raised watermelons for sale and planted 5 or 10 acres every year. i am a farmer at heart. P.S. how can you put 70 tomato plants in a small area like that. they need to be 4 feet apart each way minimum.

Answer 7

try creating a raised bed then you can put quality soil and compost in it ....forget about fighting cassius clay ...but dont use anything that has a toxic substance like railroad ties or wolmanized landscape timbers cinder blocks would be good .... good luck from Texas