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Garden Gate:  Rototilling  |
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owwlady
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Jan
Tomahawk
WI
USA
899 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 15 2006 : 08:14:05 AM
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| For all you experienced gardeners, I have a question about starting a new garden area. I want to start a new area in my backyard lawn. Do you have to kill the grass first or can you just rototill it under? If I have to kill it first, I won't be able to plant until next year. I was hoping just to till everything under and start planting this Spring. Help... |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2006 : 09:11:24 AM
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If it is the first time use a big tiller and just till it under..we just pick out the clumps of grass after. The first year you will no doubt have to hoe out more grass that grows back, but it is better than waiting a whole year more. I won't use roundup or whatever to kill grass so that was my only option and it worked just fine. There hadn't been a garden in our garden spot for years when we moved here. We will be starting a new spot this year too since the cow took over the old garden area... we are doing raised beds this year.
Jenny in Utah
It's astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen...Frances Burnette
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2006 : 10:12:56 AM
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I agree with Aunt Jenny. We have an oldoldold TroyBilt tiller that still starts every year on the first or second pull. We use it to break sod, and we yank out any clods and shake out the sod, or just keep it really cultivated or mulched. You can also turn it over several times before you plant, if you don't have to rent a tiller. It works great!
I won't use herbicides either, and for a regular family garden there's not really any need.
You're going to have a lot of fun! |
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2006 : 2:33:20 PM
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Hey another Troy built fan. They last forever, never get rid of it. Tory built sold over 5 years ago and has never been the same. We have my grandfathers, over 40 years old and it still starts first thing.
NOrthern grass does well with tilling. Till deep the first time early, maybe end of March then till only 2 inches deep every two weeks until planting. This will kill all of the new weeds, getting rid of spring, and the first summer ones to come up. Don't till too deep after the first good till because you will only be bringing up new weed seeds.
I then put newspaper down with mulch and thats it for the season. Alot of work initially but you will be thankful you did it in July.
Marianne |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
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lonestargal
True Blue Farmgirl
607 Posts
Kristi
Texas
607 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2006 : 07:20:26 AM
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| I don't know what kind of grass you have but here we have Zoysia grass and it's a pain in the butt to get rid of. Where my garden is sat unused for several years so it was basically lawn there. I rented a sod cutter and removed all the grass that I could. Then I rototilled as deep as the tiller would go to get as many of the roots as I could. Then raked and raked to removed them from the bed. It seems like a lot of work but the Zoysia has runners that go under concrete and just about everywhere. This was 2 summers ago and that first one was still horrible trying to keep up with the weeds but now it's so much better and I'm glad I took the extra time to remove as much as I could. That idea may or may not work for you but it's another option and you don't have to use Roundup and pollute your soil. |
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owwlady
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Jan
Tomahawk
WI
USA
899 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2006 : 08:01:48 AM
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| Thank you ladies for all your input. I have to get my son-in-law out here in the Spring to do the tilling for me, but it sounds like it's going to work out fine with all the advise you've given me. I always know where to go for good advise...farmgirls! (Spring seems so far away today...7.5inches of snow fell yesterday!! I got stuck in my driveway coming here to the library today...) |
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2006 : 3:24:19 PM
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| We are waiting for it here. 60 some degrees yesterday and now we have 60-70 mile an hour winds blowing in the storm you all had. |
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Garden Gate: Rototilling |
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Rototilling
