Okay guys, we're wanting to plant a garden this year and realize our hand roto tiller (Troy Built Proline 6.75 hp) ain't going to cut it when breaking ground. I want to get something in the next couple days for my tractor to make the job much easier. What suggestions do you have? A disc harrow? A cultivator?
Your tiller should do OK for breaking ground for a garden. I've used a 5 hp Troy Pony to break new ground and it did OK. Just be prepared for some bucking and get ready to make several passes. What has worked well for me is to: mow the garden area as close to the ground as possible; till it - maybe 3 passes; let it sit a few days; pick the rocks and large clods of grass; till again perpendicular to the original path; let sit for a day or two; till again very lightly and begin planting. If you really want to buy something, get a tractor drawn tiller. Since I bought mine, the plow and disk spend most of their time in the barn.
If you are going to till well established grass sod be prepared to spend some time.
Try and get the tiller dug in and then advance very very slowly keeping the tiller dug in so as to reduced bouncing. Also try and pick a time when the ground is wet for the initial tilling.
Lower your expectations for the first year garden production. It may take two or three years to get the soil into proper condition.
Thanks for the advice guys. Our garden area is well grassed and heavily laden with rocks. I thought perhaps a 2 bottom plow ran through a couple times with rocks/grass being picked up betweem passes then roto tilled may do the trick.
Do you all tend to fertilze with during one of those passes?
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I thought perhaps a 2 bottom plow ran through a couple times with rocks/grass being picked up betweem passes then roto tilled may do the trick.
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That would be my preferred method, after mowing the grass as short as possible.
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Do you all tend to fertilze with during one of those passes?
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That would depend on a soil analysis as to what was needed.
I have a 4' 3 point hitch tiller for my 21 hp new holand. It kicks butt on untilled ground. But then again it was almost 1000 bucks. Ive got back alot of the cost by doing side jobs with it. Gardens,new patios,baseball fields and sidewalks. Hope this helps
Larry
I hear you about mowing the grass as short as possible---I've done it twice now! I had mowed it with the intention of starting to till the next day. Unfortunately, it rained the next two days then I became tied up for a couple more days. I just remowed the site, started the tilling and now, it has/is raining heavily again (sigh). Maybe after the third time of mowing, I'll get the garden plowed--after the 2 bottom plow comes in stock.
Rhonda, my yard is in dire need of mowing, but we've had too much rain here, too, so I understand your problem. It was dry today, so maybe I'll get it mowed tomorrow, if we get back from the hospital early enough after one of my wife's close friends has surgery in the morning. I was looking at your hobbies in your profile and wondering where you are. It's been awhile, but I've spent several nights camped along the New River above Bluestone Dam in the past; never did very good with the fishing, but had a good time.
My wife's from Princeton where her mother and one brother and his family still live. Another brother, his wife, and my wife's sister live in Bluefield, and another of her brothers and his wife are building a new house in Vienna.
Tractorgirl,
That's what I did in our new patch in Western MD. I plowed and then ran the disc over it. Then I tilled several times with our TroyBilt Horse. I had LOTS of rocks to pick up between passes too. I only have about 1/3 of the space tilled so far, I'm tilling and planting as I go - just to keep ahead of the weather so I don't have to go back with the tiller yet again.
I'm located near Fairmont, WV. We had bought 116 acres here about 2 years ago and were able to move 2 months ago. We bought the remains of an old Girl Scout camp. 35 acres is meadow and the rest woods. Needless to say, we have an endless supply of firewood. Bluefield/Princeton is about 3 hours south of me. I haven't been to the Bluestone Dam in many years but if you're ever up that way again, try trout fishing some of the streams in the area. They're great!
I used to live in Killeen, TX for a few years. Other than the fire ants and scorpions, I enjoyed the state.
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