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San Jose [email protected]

is there an easy way to till deep, like 12" or more, i'm in the city, so tractor is out of the question, any ideas?

11/17/2005 8:21:40 PM

Canada

This is what I did in both 2004 and 2005,

Get some help as this is ALLOT of work, Do one section at a time seeing your in the city I take it your patch isnt too large, Mine is 15x20 ( main middle yard patch) I had 4 guys helping, we started at one end of patch and due down till we hit hard clay which was about 24" at this point we had a hudge pit dug out about 15 ft wide x 10 ft long, all the dirt pulled out was put on other side of patch we then layered the manure, leaves, greensand about 6" thick and dug in with shovel, kept adding manure, leafs ext as we re layered the soil we dug out on top, once that side was done we moved to the other section 15x10 and did the same, in 2004 it was only 2 of us and it took us 2 weeks to complete ( just working weekends) this year in 2005 I had 4 helpers and we did it in a day. once both sections were done, I laid 4" of manure over the top section of the patch then ran the rotiller over top. this way I KNOW all the additives have gotten down DEEP which should help with feeding the deep roots and the jersey green sand laid down and dug in deeper down in the hard clay over the next couple of years should help somewhat break the clay down to somewhat workable soil.

its allot of work, Ive worked my but off for the past 3 years in prepareing my patch and hopefully in 2006 it all pays off as i wheel barrowed ALLOT of fresh manure into both patches this past fall :-)

Dave

11/17/2005 9:48:52 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Broadfork by Johnny's Select seeds. Better for the soil than a tiller.

11/17/2005 10:24:06 PM

[email protected]

Rent a 2 man post hole digger.

11/18/2005 7:22:36 AM

Minnesota([email protected])

I'd seriously look at Shannon's suggestion. I've never used a broadfork, but they sound quite useful. I may purchase one myself.

11/18/2005 11:52:04 AM

if you can rent a small stump grinder they will go thru 36" gate-they will go deeper than 20 inches-----------http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=30743

11/18/2005 12:27:02 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Rent a Mini Track -Hoe

11/18/2005 2:28:54 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

The broadfork is good for opening up the soil. It is not good for mixing things into the soil. If you turn the soil over with a shovel or whatever and don't add any organic matter you will, depending on your soil, just be bringing up subsoil. This doesn't help much. For pumpkins the broadfork (down 12 inches) and tilling (down 6 to 8 inches) are probably enough. For tomatoes it may not be adequate as their roots may go much deeper.The best broadfork does come from Johnny's. It is thin tined, goes in the ground easily, and curved, easier to work with.

11/18/2005 3:47:02 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Double Dig..row by row...takes time but will work.

11/18/2005 4:03:28 PM

Montoursville, PA

It is a killer but extended double digging is a great soil builder. The difference is that the second dig is also removed and a shovel full of manure goes under and over it.
when any soil is turned on the refill a shovel full of manure goes under and over it. That will raise the top level of the bed and create a very good deep quality soil at the same time in one fall digging. Then add lots of leaves and till the top four to six inches followed by a cover crop. No matter how you view this it is simple. Simply put an equal amount of manuer under and over each turn of the soil you dig.

I don't know if my Dutch ancesters had a name for it but this is what they would do if opening a new garden or section there of. There is just no easy way to make an improvement of this value. Done once done forever!!!

11/18/2005 4:17:02 PM