• Everything other than hot peppers. Questions, discussion, and grow logs. Cannabis grow pics are only allowed when posted from a legal juridstiction.

TO TILL OR NOT TOO TILL??

ajijoe

ajijoe

hello
i was wondering since every year year after im finished ripping the garden out for the winter i always till the plants and other good stuff in right away

the Question is >>>

is it ok to let the plant material and other organic items on the soil until spring when the thaw comes then till it in or should i not break from tradition and just till it in???
after all the bacterial break down will pretty much stop when the soil freezes anyway

what is the most beneficial??

would love to hear from you

thanks your friend Joe
 
my whole family allaways tilled right before they started planting. and ive seen more than one succesfull gardens.
 
isnt that the idea with traditional tilling? you turn the old plants under the soil and it provides some sort of nutrient?
idk, but i dont see the downside here? seems like you get better soil aeration and some nutrients.
 
Only downside is if your plants had issues also most farmers will tell you to rotate crops when possible. I till in the spring but then again I pulled all my plants and hung them full of green pods.
 
Can you till material into your garden? im thinking... like pouring a fat line of verm and peat then running it over with a roto tiller?
the ground here in Houston is pitiful, all clay.
 
I would think the soil microbes have a better chance of breaking down the organic matter through out the winter if it has been tilled in. Benefiting the garden more by have more nutrients readily available. At and above soil level will definitely be colder than down in the soil. That is my plan here in the GA. Up north, if your compost pile would stay warmer, breaking down more matter than in the garden soil, it might be more beneficial to wait before adding in early spring. I guess it all depends on your location.
I could be wrong, but that is the way i see it Joe.
 
Last time I grew in-ground, I always pulled the plants up in the fall, and turned the soil over in the spring. I can't tell you if that made a real difference or not. However, there seems to be a potential clue to take from farmers - which I'm not. I rarely see a farm plowed under in the fall - most often the plants are chopped down very short for the winter, then tilled under in the spring. I'm in Ohio, where they grow a ton of corn, and that's the pattern I see year after year here. I like to think most farmers know what they're doing, and understand why they do that - that they have some education on the topic. Other than taking a tip from farmers, though, you might call your local ag office and ask if they know the pros and cons of each.
 
GA Growhead said:
I would think the soil microbes have a better chance of breaking down the organic matter through out the winter if it has been tilled in. Benefiting the garden more by have more nutrients readily available. At and above soil level will definitely be colder than down in the soil. That is my plan here in the GA. Up north, if your compost pile would stay warmer, breaking down more matter than in the garden soil, it might be more beneficial to wait before adding in early spring. I guess it all depends on your location.
I could be wrong, but that is the way i see it Joe.
Click to expand...

thanks Ga

this was really the answer i was looking for im going to just keep doing what i always do

I WILL TILL!!

my wife thinks i should too
i have never gone wrong doing this, but i gotta get to Tractor supply and get a a new tine pin, i snapped one last year
thanks all for your replies

your friend Joe
 
hey joe i am tilling my garden tomarrow and leaving all the plants there to rot over the winter and thats what i did last year and seemed to work out fine tomarrow im adding a couple garbage bags of pine needles and dead leaves to it too
 
Joe,
I have a huge pile of leaves and pine straw ready to be be tilled in with some aged chicken manure from my neighbor. I then want to top dress with straw and more leaves that will be tilled in again in spring. I am thinking the top dressing will keep the temps up in the soil, aiding in the breaking down of the tilled matter below the soil.
Everything i can find on the web, states to always cover the soil with mulch after fall tilling to protect and prevent any erosion. I also read that fall tilling makes the soil easier to till again in spring. Mainly sites stated that it is not necessary, but very beneficial if can be done with the top dressing of mulch. And recommended doing so right after the first few frost.
I started a new plot this season (roughly 12 x 40), so wanting add at much organic matter as i can to prep for next spring. The soil varied greatly and i would like to improve the more clay side of the garden as much as i can. The plants didn't do as well on that side.
So im going for it.
Good luck and happy tilling.
Ga GH
 
Yes TILL in the FALL. We hardly ever have the weather to till in leaves and manure. This year was a different story. We also added buckets and buckets of summer plant/veggie waste into the soil along with the leaves.

We'll also till the same mixture into the soil in the SPRING. I'm sure the worms will be enjoying their new found goodies.
 
I just tilled in some manure, but will be going no till next season. Covering my beds with wood chips. We will see how it goes. I've never done no till before.
 
catherinew said:
Yes TILL in the FALL. We hardly ever have the weather to till in leaves and manure. This year was a different story. We also added buckets and buckets of summer plant/veggie waste into the soil along with the leaves.

We'll also till the same mixture into the soil in the SPRING. I'm sure the worms will be enjoying their new found goodies.
Click to expand...
THANKS NEXT WEEK I TILL!!

catherinew said:
Yes TILL in the FALL. We hardly ever have the weather to till in leaves and manure. This year was a different story. We also added buckets and buckets of summer plant/veggie waste into the soil along with the leaves.

We'll also till the same mixture into the soil in the SPRING. I'm sure the worms will be enjoying their new found goodies.
Click to expand...
THANKS YOU!1
 
ajijoe - I forgot to add that we also place many bags of leaves on top of the garden after it's been tilled with shredded leaves, llama poo, and buckets of garden waste. The bags help keep the soil warmer for the worms, etc. and also the little moisture we get stays in the soil for much of the winter. Then in the Spring we till half of the bags of leaves into the soil and the rest of the leaves are used for mulch since it's so dry most of the time.

Good luck with your next garden. I hope you see great results with tilling and adding to the soil. ;)

I also like Amanda's words:
"Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrow keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God can keep you going". AMANDA MARIE SHINER
 
catherinew said:
ajijoe - I forgot to add that we also place many bags of leaves on top of the garden after it's been tilled with shredded leaves, llama poo, and buckets of garden waste. The bags help keep the soil warmer for the worms, etc. and also the little moisture we get stays in the soil for much of the winter. Then in the Spring we till half of the bags of leaves into the soil and the rest of the leaves are used for mulch since it's so dry most of the time.

Good luck with your next garden. I hope you see great results with tilling and adding to the soil. ;)

I also like Amanda's words:
"Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrow keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God can keep you going". AMANDA MARIE SHINER
Click to expand...
i through lots of good stuff on the plots all winter long

thank you for your kind words

thanks your friend Joe
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top