# Starting a garden patch, no tractor



## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Thought I'd throw out a topic for discussion and see what ideas present.  

Just bought a new place and have an acre or so of possible garden plots. I have a rototiller but no tractor. If I did have a tractor, I'd probably want to turn the soil over with a plow and disk it up to get things going. (And I may yet be able to make that happen.) But for the sake of discussion, lets say I never do get my hands on that tractor. What would be a good way of getting a garden spot started, basically from a grassy lawn type area?


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Important: Unless you have extensive experience, don't try to garden an acre to start!!! Several ideas below...pick and choose...

1. Find a neighbor with a tractor to get the ground initially plowed. Even if it costs a bit to get started, it will be worth it.
2. Put black plastic down until next spring which will/may kill the grass, then use the rototiller to work up small portions at a time.
3. Place rabbit manure directly on the surface in rows, and plant directly into it and down a little bit into the soil. I did it this spring and tomatoes grew quite well in it.
4. Use mulch once you plant to eliminate/reduce any new weed growth.
5. Make raised beds which will be more productive than regular planting, and easier to maintain.
6. Plant annual cover crops to eliminate weeds and to give the soil a boost.
7. Work up only a one foot wide bed/row directly in the soil, and mow the distance between rows. You end up with something like raised beds, but they aren't raised and you don't need to weed between rows, just mow...it save on watering (only in the one food area, plus on fertilizer.
8. You could use a herbicide to kill the grass...but I don't recommend that. Black plastic will do a fairly good job.
Loads of options.
9. You could plant directly into black plastic...which eliminates weeds and keeps plants cleaner.
10. Don't forget to get a soil test for pH and to tell what nutrients are lacking.
Good luck.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

Before we got our tractor, I just rented a BIG tiller....it was well worth it.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Thanks, Annie,

I'm with ya on a lot of that stuff already.  

I appreciate the warning about an acre to start with. I probably won't do a whole acre to start with but I do have a good bit of experience with gardening plots of 1/4 to 1/2 acre. I tend to run out of garden space before I run out of stuff I'd like to plant. But seriously, I do understand the concern about the size. 

I've been mulling the idea over about laying down some black plastic in the spots I'm considering. I've even been thinking about putting some fence up around those spots as well, even before there's anything there that needs to be fenced. This being the beginning of December in north central Tennessee, it could sit there for a couple of months while the worms do their thing. I don't know whether I should add a layer of compost / manure before putting down the plastic. 

I did think that perhaps if I did go the plastic route, when I pull the plastic up (assuming I do pull it up and not plant directly into it), that would be a good time to run a broadfork through the ground to loosen it up. If the worms have been doing their job over the months under plastic, I would imagine the soil might be pretty decent. 

I'm still not sure about the rototiller. I have thought about the idea of putting the plastic on, letting it sit for a month or so, then pulling the plastic up and rototilling in some compost / manure, and covering it all back up again for another month or two. And then, going through the whole thing with the broadfork and a quick skim of the tops of the beds with the rototiller just to make a nice planting bed on each "row", not deep. 

Lots of ideas swimming around in my head. I haven't started a garden area from scratch too many times. I've usually started where the soil had been plowed before and was pretty much ready to plant. Once it's been worked up, I'm not inclined to want to do much plowing or rototilling, I can keep it pretty nice with just mulch (or plastic, or both), good weeding and hoeing practices, and the broadfork. (The last garden spot I had, I actually did a lot of it with a shovel, which was more work than I'd really like to do with a large spot.) 

Yup, definitely need to do a soil sample for each of the plots. That way, I'd at least know where I was starting and could amend according to more than intuition, not just pH, but I could have some fun with other minerals and CEC calculations... but that's fun for another discussion. 

Would love to have a nice BCS tractor with a rotary plow but that's not gonna happen this season.

Anyway, just sharing the thoughts passing through the brain at the moment. Thanks for the thoughts!


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

hiddensprings said:


> Before we got our tractor, I just rented a BIG tiller....it was well worth it.


My tiller is not huge but is pretty capable. I still think I'd want to do some black plastic ahead of time even if I decide to just attack with the tiller. Even with a very big tiller, there are still clumps of sod. The plastic should take care of that problem.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

Bellyman said:


> My tiller is not huge but is pretty capable. I still think I'd want to do some black plastic ahead of time even if I decide to just attack with the tiller. Even with a very big tiller, there are still clumps of sod. The plastic should take care of that problem.


I agree, I actually used a flat shovel and removed the grass by hand so that when I rented the tiller it went faster and it really helped keep the grass from coming back in. This year I'm going with raised beds instead. Living in Northern Minnesota, it takes the soil soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long to warm up that my garden had a terrible time getting started. Good luck to you!


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## Back2Basix (Dec 24, 2015)

Deff get a soil sample ASAP if possible. Soil around here always tends to be acid, so if you were my neighbor I'd advise lime now (even without results) to allow it to start working into the soil over winter. Then plastic over winter to help with weeds but will also warm the soil allowing the worms, critters, organisms, etc more time to do their job than without it.

If you're near farm country, I'd try to flag a farmer down who's passing by and see if they don't mind turning it real quick. They're still harvesting corn around here and most farms around here will lime/fert then turn the soil before winter. Lots of 32+ row disc going up and down the road right now that could do an acre in a few minutes


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Being you just bought this place but I would suggest starting smaller. Maybe only a 50 by 100 foot plot. You should be able to prepare that easily with the rototiller. Expand out as you have time/need/ability. 

1. Black plastic the area for the winter.
2. Move plastic to next area.
3. Rototill, fertilize an plant that area.
4. Start on next area if time allows or leave it until next spring.

WWW


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Being you just bought this place but I would suggest starting smaller. Maybe only a 50 by 100 foot plot. You should be able to prepare that easily with the rototiller. Expand out as you have time/need/ability.
> 
> 1. Black plastic the area for the winter.
> 2. Move plastic to next area.
> ...


Thanks, WWW. That may be pretty close to what actually happens, I'm not sure yet. 

The place doesn't have a single large area to be used for garden. It has several smaller patches. I may end up starting with the patch that's easiest to deal with first, which I think is probably about 60' or 70' square. Just that would make for a decent main garden patch. I am kinda thinking about a smaller patch or two for things like asparagus and various kinds of berries that might get planted once and be there for several years. 

I appreciate the thoughts!

(Actually, I have lots of ideas already but thought maybe it would be an interesting topic here. And who knows, maybe a new idea that I (or others) hadn't thought about will surface and be useful to some who are reading.)


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

When I put a garden in my lawn, I simply rototill every week for 3 weeks in arrow. That will kill most of the grass and weeds


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## PlayingInDirt (Aug 2, 2017)

The good thing about plastic is that it's so easy to maintain. We do irrigation and plant into the plastic. Very minimal weeding, it was great. 

I heard someone say you get more production with a smaller garden than a huge garden. I found that to be true for us this year, it was too overwhelming. We'll be scaling back by half next year, I think. I'm sure the size depends mostly on how much time you can devote to it.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

I've not tried actually growing in the black plastic. I've seen it done quite a bit by some of the Amish farmers that were growing for market.

I have often wondered how a person keeps from over or under watering when not able to actually see much of the dirt. Is it done by the look of the plant? Is it done by peeking under the plastic every day or two to see what's going on moisture wise? I would imagine it would take considerably less water to keep the plants happy since there would be no weed competition and also no evaporation through the plastic. 

Mostly, I've had gardens I could handle taking care of. I have the time. And it doesn't take a lot to maintain if kept after. 

One of my goals was to actually do some growing for market. With the current property, that is definitely going to be a challenge if possible at all. I think I'll be able to grow much of what we ourselves eat and have some to give away to the kids and some close friends, but probably nothing I'll try to take to market, at least not for coming year. Let's just say it's a work in progress. 

Thanks for the comments!


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## PlayingInDirt (Aug 2, 2017)

The plastic really keeps things moist. We went mostly by schedule, or look of the plant. It gets hot here, we still only watered every 2-3 days for most of the plants. We used t- tape irrigaton. Each row had a switch so we could choose which rows needed watering. Next year I'm going to run a separate circuit for plants that need more water instead of flipping the switches though, just to be more streamline. 

We got our pumpkins in late, they did not perform well with the plastic. They do fine if you get them in early though , from years past. 

Hope that helps


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

For watering things growing in the ground, I follow what a professor at Cornell told us. You need one inch of rain a week in NYS climate. If you don't get that much during the week, or if it hasn't rained at all in a week (EVEN if it is predicted to be a gusher tomorrow), water an inch worth of water today!
So, if watering day is Tuesday, for example, if you haven't had an inch of rain since you watered last Tuesday, water today (assuming it is Tuesday). Don't let the weather predictions allow you to procrastinate on your schedule. It's always worked for me.
Now, raised beds are another creature. I need to water every day it isn't raining...as they dry out faster...haven't tried planting in black plastic in the raised beds, however.


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## w1651 (Feb 16, 2016)

I was thinking if it is fenced find a farmer that will let his pigs graze it. Or you can raise your own. It helps the farmer and the pigs tear up your land. Then call a tree trimmer and lay down as much chips over winter as possible. No till is the way to go for me.


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## rickfrosty (Jun 19, 2008)

Gravely 2 whl tractors were like the BCS and you can find them around comparatively cheaply - they had a rotary plow attchmnt . as well as many others .



Bellyman said:


> Thanks, Annie,
> 
> I'm with ya on a lot of that stuff already.
> 
> ...


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I reopened a garden spot by fencing it in and raising a crop of meat chickens. They killed everything within reach and even ate the weed seeds. I didn't pick more than a double handful of weeds the next season. My plan for the future property is to put up fencing around a garden spot. Then divide it in half with a chicken coop in the middle so that I can switch the chickens back and forth between the two gardens.

To get the soil jump started my plan is to put down 1-2 feet of wood chips and then get the chickens on the chips as soon as I'm able. In a year or 2 the chips should be gone and the soil should have good structure and not require any tilling.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

I used to use that black plastic method.....worked...I didn't like it as it look like crap.....
Ues the cut and turn over the sod first...in the fall, killed off a lot of grass then dig it in with a shovel 

For years followed the Ruth Stout method of thick straw or rotted hay mulch....

https://www.amazon.com/Ruth-Stout-N...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4RYSZ4FGDSHKN9YYRPDW

And I agree.....Less is More......Biggest mistake for a new garden is making it Waaaaay too big...and lose control...
Go to weeds....can't use a hoe or cultivator to kill weeds if there is plastic down.

Haven't done much gardening lately...but still have a plot covered with an old wool carpet...
So If I was to start up again...I can just roll it up...plant, and mulch.


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## FCLady (Jan 23, 2011)

We bought the neighbor's property and wanted to put a larger garden there. We tried tilling but the ground was hard and miserable to work with. So, in the fall we put down LOTS of stump grinding and wood chips from a landscaper. We added our own leaves, compost and fresh manure all fall. By spring we just planted. No till. It worked so well for us and the lawn service was glad to dump stump grinding and wood chips. We are still doing it. I think the key is keeping the manure on it to keep the nitrogen up. No tilling is hard to get used to as well. We tilled for 30+ years. Now that we know what the size of our garden is going to be we put down railroad ties to keep the mulch in place and attached a poultry netting to the railroad ties to keep the deer and ***** out.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

We had a rear tine tiller. Set it very shallow to skim off the sod. Raked that up and piled off to the side. Thin tilled the spot incorporating whatever manure we had at the time.


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

FFCLady keep an eye on your ph, sounds like you might need lots of lime


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## FCLady (Jan 23, 2011)

thanks RonM we do add lime.


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## farmhousecrafts (Jul 24, 2015)

I'm starting a Back to Eden garden this year. I've been watching many YouTube videos and it sounds like a lot less work.


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## FCLady (Jan 23, 2011)

Back to Eden still is alot of work... It's just not in the heat of the summer... pulling weeds etc., the work (hauling mulch & manure) is in the cooler temps which is easier work.


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## Jen_Jen (Jan 10, 2017)

Very late to the party, so I'm sure you've found a solution, but here's what we do.

We simply did no-till last year. We just planted right into the soil. Used grass cuttings and wood mulch over top. Our garden produced beautifully last year.

We don't have one this year, because he's been injured, and I've been sick and busy with a "part time job" that's grown to be a little more than part time.

Jen M, WV


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## w1651 (Feb 16, 2016)

Bellyman said:


> Thought I'd throw out a topic for discussion and see what ideas present.
> 
> Just bought a new place and have an acre or so of possible garden plots. I have a rototiller but no tractor. If I did have a tractor, I'd probably want to turn the soil over with a plow and disk it up to get things going. (And I may yet be able to make that happen.) But for the sake of discussion, lets say I never do get my hands on that tractor. What would be a good way of getting a garden spot started, basically from a grassy lawn type area?


I have been checking out no till grdening and am thinking of trying it. I live in an area that has lots of tree trimmers trying to get rid of mulch for free though. So it shouldn't be a problem getting started. Lots of videos on it as well.


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## Myrth (Jan 21, 2013)

I used to do no till gardening in the ground. I never used plastic. I used deep, deep mulch. I would first scalp the grasses with a mower. Then I would use newspaper or cardboard covered in old rotten hay or straw, grass clippings, leaves, etc. I would leave the bed like that over winter. In the spring I would plant through the mulch. I really liked no-till.

Now I plant in raised beds. Easier on me. I still mulch.


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