using a tiller? (beginner's questions!) (landscaping, trees, containers, compost)
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I'm sure this is sold under different names around the country but this is what I've always used. I sometimes use it for mulch at the beginning of the season and work it in at the end.
Well, I've been browsing online looking at different tillers and have a few more comments/questions ...
CFoulke, the one you linked to from amazon has great reviews. I am seriously considering getting that one. I have a couple of very long, heavy-duty extension cords because I use them with my snow blower.
I have more questions about tilling/gardening. Honestly, one of the biggest reasons I was thinking of doing RAISED beds was because I didn't want to dig, as in, dig with a shovel. Obviously the tiller takes care of that (and I feel kinda silly). Can you also use tillers to dig deeper and deeper, as in, to make a foundation for (say) a (small) addition on a house? Some of the photos I'm seeing of tillers shows them digging really deep (maybe in more than one pass, but they seem pretty easy to use).
Also, it seems like tillers are the way to get rid of grass where you want to plant flowers?
I wish I had started sooner ... I suspect that this year will be mostly a "planning" year and next year will be heavy-duty gathering. But hopefully I can get a few flower beds in! And on that: I wanted to plant some beds parallel to my driveway maybe 2-3' in, but then I was thinking, wait, that's where I pile snow in the winter. Would perennials survive that? (Doesn't seem likely ...)
Lay paper or some other light blocker down for 2 or 3 weeks over the area where you want to plant flowers to kill the grass (I'd do it quicker with Round Up but others frown on that). Be aware that opening up what was lawn will allow other weeds and what not to germinate so you may have a year or two of pulling weeds.
Many will tell you that you need to hand dig a new bed first before deploying a tiller. Ok. But you can break new ground with the tiller.
When you see a tiller being used to dig a trench you still have to hand dig, the tiller just breaks it up to make shoveling easier.
I'd tell you that most perennials will most likely survive having snow piled on them. It will depend on the plant but if you have natives it shouldn't be a problem. At least I've never had any winter kill from doing it.
I have a Troy Bilt tiller which DH got me with a big bow for an anniversary. I also got 6 cubic yards of composted cow manure the same day. I was in heaven. Only a real gardener would rejoice to see a dump truck filled with manure come down the drive way.
LOL!
A bit off-topic, but this brought back memories of a couple old coots I know who liked to play tricks on each other every April Fools Day. Yep. April 1 rolled around and one of them had a dump truck full of manure delivered onto the driveway of the other. He couldn't even get his cars out of his garage! Glad I never had friends like that!
I'm pretty sure you could not use a rototiller to build a foundation for an addition to a house. Support Beams have to be placed very deep into soil and a tiller would never do that job.
When I start a new bed this is what I do
kill the grass either with roundup or old carpet, paper, leaves. This takes a month or more.
Then I till up the top 6 or 7 inches to loosen it up. Then remove that soil and put it aside. Next I start digging to get a really loosened up foundation for my bed. I can't emphasize too much how important good drainage is to guarantee success. I am talking about Georgia and N.C. red clay. But even with better soil I don't think one pass to break up 6 or 7 inches of top soil will be enough. I like to get 12-18 inches down of broken up soil with amendments to sweeten up the soil, improve drainage and add nutrients. I put back in the top soil and till it all in together. Remember- you only have one chance to do it right the first time.
Honestly Karen, it really is too late to get anything prepared for this summer. At least where I live but maybe not for you where you are. I just know fall and spring are the best times to plant and basically we are in summer as of this weekend. I would recommend spending this summer doing as much garden learning as you can. Call your local country extension service of the dept of agriculture to find out when Master Gardener courses are taught. There are plenty of beginners taking those classes to get the fundamental knowledge to start a very rewarding hobby. Also very experienced gardeners will be taking the courses as refreshers and to learn about gardening in a new location. You will get so much from these courses and people---plus they love to share plants.
I'm sure this is sold under different names around the country but this is what I've always used. I sometimes use it for mulch at the beginning of the season and work it in at the end.
Well, I've been browsing online looking at different tillers and have a few more comments/questions ...
CFoulke, the one you linked to from amazon has great reviews. I am seriously considering getting that one. I have a couple of very long, heavy-duty extension cords because I use them with my snow blower.
I have more questions about tilling/gardening. Honestly, one of the biggest reasons I was thinking of doing RAISED beds was because I didn't want to dig, as in, dig with a shovel. Obviously the tiller takes care of that (and I feel kinda silly). Can you also use tillers to dig deeper and deeper, as in, to make a foundation for (say) a (small) addition on a house? Some of the photos I'm seeing of tillers shows them digging really deep (maybe in more than one pass, but they seem pretty easy to use).
Also, it seems like tillers are the way to get rid of grass where you want to plant flowers?
I wish I had started sooner ... I suspect that this year will be mostly a "planning" year and next year will be heavy-duty gathering. But hopefully I can get a few flower beds in! And on that: I wanted to plant some beds parallel to my driveway maybe 2-3' in, but then I was thinking, wait, that's where I pile snow in the winter. Would perennials survive that? (Doesn't seem likely ...)
Hi Karen!! I realize this stuff is all new to you and that's ok, but if we can make it fun to do and EASIER, then it's even better. I would say this, whether you are digging in a new bed or making a raised bed - you are going to want to have the soil worked up well, want to have added fertilizer or nutrients, or manure (cow or horse is best - but NOT fresh - it will burn up the plants ) , or compost, or whatever. That needs to be added and worked into the soil very well (tilled in) in order to take good care of the plants needs. You could use a shovel to do that, but it is backbreaking unless you're about 25 (I've been 25 a couple of times) - that's why a tiller or a cultivator is necessary. I think of the cultivator as my mini-tiller because I can handle it easily and although I could use it to dig a huge bed, I mainly wanted it to create smaller beds or to refresh some of the beds I already had. Maybe I added some more topsoil and wanted to incorporate it, or something. I honestly don't think you could use a cultivator to dig a foundation for a home addition, or a barn or something. I would think you would need a backhoe for something like that. That would have to go down extremely deep - imagine yourself down in a hole with the cultivator - trying to see and not run over your cord? Not very easy and I frankly just don't think it would work. I don't know how long your growing season is in NH - so it may be too late this year. You could read up on it, or my favorite - I love to watch gardening shows on TV (names escape me at this m minute), PBS used to have the Victory Garden on every weekend and I always used to watch that. Also, BHG (Better Homes and Gardens) has some good information on plants, planting, potting, etc. and I like their website. No Kudzu may be absolutely right in just taking the rest of this summer to plan what you are going to do and then dig into it next year or even by the fall. If you had your raised beds in by fall, you could plant Chrysanthemums, and also fill them with a bunch of bulbs which would bloom next spring for you. As far as the ones you were wanting to put by the driveway, the plants will be dormant and sleeping next winter when you plow snow onto them. If you clear away the dead stuff in the fall, or wait until spring like I usually do, the snow will absolutely do no harm to your perennials. Unless you put a LOT of salt down in the winter, your flowers and even your grass should be fine. A trip to the library, or to a bookstore, or to your local nursery will help you tremendously - to figure out what you actually want to do, and the proper way and time to do it.
I can't tell from the website, but is that the newish expanded-shale product? I have heard it's very good -- even from the county Extension agent!
Nothing new about it. I've used it for decades and I think it is ground pine bark. It's essential as far as I'm concerned.
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He couldn't even get his cars out of his garage! Glad I never had friends like that!
) - that's why a tiller or a cultivator is necessary. I think of the cultivator as my mini-tiller because I can handle it easily and although I could use it to dig a huge bed, I mainly wanted it to create smaller beds or to refresh some of the beds I already had. Maybe I added some more topsoil and wanted to incorporate it, or something. I honestly don't think you could use a cultivator to dig a foundation for a home addition, or a barn or something. I would think you would need a backhoe for something like that. That would have to go down extremely deep - imagine yourself down in a hole with the cultivator - trying to see and not run over your cord? Not very easy and I frankly just don't think it would work. I don't know how long your growing season is in NH - so it may be too late this year. You could read up on it, or my favorite - I love to watch gardening shows on TV (names escape me at this m minute), PBS used to have the Victory Garden on every weekend and I always used to watch that. Also, BHG (Better Homes and Gardens) has some good information on plants, planting, potting, etc. and I like their website. No Kudzu may be absolutely right in just taking the rest of this summer to plan what you are going to do and then dig into it next year or even by the fall. If you had your raised beds in by fall, you could plant Chrysanthemums, and also fill them with a bunch of bulbs which would bloom next spring for you. As far as the ones you were wanting to put by the driveway, the plants will be dormant and sleeping next winter when you plow snow onto them. If you clear away the dead stuff in the fall, or wait until spring like I usually do, the snow will absolutely do no harm to your perennials. Unless you put a LOT of salt down in the winter, your flowers and even your grass should be fine. A trip to the library, or to a bookstore, or to your local nursery will help you tremendously - to figure out what you actually want to do, and the proper way and time to do it.
