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09-23-08, 06:22 PM

To Till:
You have to make sure the soil is ready to be tilled, or you may be causing more harm than good. It has to be warm enough, and dry enough to till. Typically spring is the best time of the year to till your garden, and you want the SOIL temerature to be 60* or above. When you grab a handful of dirt, if it clumps together it's too moist, when it crumbles in your hand, that's the right time to till. Although if you're planning on planting cold-growing plants like lettuce, peas, or cabbage next year, it's better to till your garden in the fall, as the soil won't be warm enough to till before the plants are ready to go in the ground.

If you're planning on putting any Lime, Manure, or organic compost to the soil, add that as you're tilling to get it mixed in well with the soil. If you're planning on adding chemical fertilizers, wait until just before planting, so it doesn't just leach out of the area. Work the additives into the soil, and use your tiller to break up to top 6-8" of soil for good root growth. DON'T go over an area too much with the tiller, or it will actually compact the soil instead of just loosening it up.

Not To Till:

The "No-Till" method basically has mother nature doing the job of keeping the soil aerated, fertilized, control weeds, drain well but retain moisture, and otherwise take care of the soil. To go with the "No-Till" method, there's a bit of work involved in getting the ground and the plants set up just right to work with this method. I found this website that goes into a little more detail about the "No-Till" method:
http://www.eartheasy.com/article_no-till_gardening.htm

Both methods seem like they would work resonably well. As long as you don't over-till the soil the Tilling method would be fine, and as long as you prep the ground properly beforehand, the "No-Till" method would work well. It's mostly up to you with how you feel about the garden. Would you rather spend a little time every year tilling your garden? Or would you rather put in more effort up front, but not have the yearly till? It's up to you

09-23-08, 06:22 PM	#3
Tree Hugger Guest Posts: n/a	To Till: You have to make sure the soil is ready to be tilled, or you may be causing more harm than good. It has to be warm enough, and dry enough to till. Typically spring is the best time of the year to till your garden, and you want the SOIL temerature to be 60* or above. When you grab a handful of dirt, if it clumps together it's too moist, when it crumbles in your hand, that's the right time to till. Although if you're planning on planting cold-growing plants like lettuce, peas, or cabbage next year, it's better to till your garden in the fall, as the soil won't be warm enough to till before the plants are ready to go in the ground. If you're planning on putting any Lime, Manure, or organic compost to the soil, add that as you're tilling to get it mixed in well with the soil. If you're planning on adding chemical fertilizers, wait until just before planting, so it doesn't just leach out of the area. Work the additives into the soil, and use your tiller to break up to top 6-8" of soil for good root growth. DON'T go over an area too much with the tiller, or it will actually compact the soil instead of just loosening it up. Not To Till: The "No-Till" method basically has mother nature doing the job of keeping the soil aerated, fertilized, control weeds, drain well but retain moisture, and otherwise take care of the soil. To go with the "No-Till" method, there's a bit of work involved in getting the ground and the plants set up just right to work with this method. I found this website that goes into a little more detail about the "No-Till" method: http://www.eartheasy.com/article_no-till_gardening.htm Both methods seem like they would work resonably well. As long as you don't over-till the soil the Tilling method would be fine, and as long as you prep the ground properly beforehand, the "No-Till" method would work well. It's mostly up to you with how you feel about the garden. Would you rather spend a little time every year tilling your garden? Or would you rather put in more effort up front, but not have the yearly till? It's up to you Last edited by Tree Hugger; 09-23-08 at 06:26 PM..