What are the signs of rototilling when it's too wet?

[pmsmechanic]

I rototill a lot of gardens every spring. One of the nicest gardens was one where she laid newspaper between the rows to keep the weeds down. To keep the newspaper in place she added grass clippings on top. After a few years of this she had one of the nicest garden soils in the area. The soil was very mellow and rototilling left a really nice seed bed.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Depending on the soil mixture it can take more or less moisture to be able to work it efficiently ... but yes you don't want the soil to stick to your tires it makes a mess everywhere. In clay the soil doesn't beak down properly if too wet, it clumps up in softball size chuck and dry up like that and the chuck gets super hard and it take for ever to break down, even if I till it again it stays in chuck.

 

[Williy]

Yander your chickens don't free range any longer ? YOU ATE THEM?

willy

 

[chim]

One good indicator of soil that's a bit wet to rototill is when it resembles a spinning brown log

 

[ray66v]

When I till the first time in a season, if it's too wet, I get a lot of clumps that are really hard to break up later.

I put drain tile in my garden about 5 years ago. Wish I had done it sooner.

I can till much earlier in the spring, and the soil warms up much earlier, so I can get the corn in earlier.

 

[oosik]

YES - grsthegreat. Post# 8. Makes you wonder - was this guy actually going to do some tilling OR was he just going fishing.

 

[wmfamily]

I rototill a lot of gardens every spring. One of the nicest gardens was one where she laid newspaper between the rows to keep the weeds down. To keep the newspaper in place she added grass clippings on top. After a few years of this she had one of the nicest garden soils in the area. The soil was very mellow and rototilling left a really nice seed bed.

My mother and I do this in out gardens but she normally uses leaves and I use grass clippings. It is mainly to keep the weeds down but helps to hold the moisture in. It does take a bit of work to lay it down every year but it reduces the overall work involved since I have very few weeds to deal with. Of course less weeds only makes it easier for the deer to eat everything. They really like the green beans and beets but nothing is safe from their browsing.

 

[big bubba]

just like plowing. if you can wad it up in your fist, it's too wet. do yourself a favor, don't listen to just "let 'er rip"

 

[Yander]

I rototill a lot of gardens every spring. One of the nicest gardens was one where she laid newspaper between the rows to keep the weeds down. To keep the newspaper in place she added grass clippings on top. After a few years of this she had one of the nicest garden soils in the area. The soil was very mellow and rototilling left a really nice seed bed.

She was feeding the worms, they did the work.

 

[wmfamily]

She was feeding the worms, they did the work.

Yes, the worms love the paper and leafs/grass.