Can I till the soil for a garden in January? (grass, vegetable)

[Bamamama]

We are in a new house and I want to put in a small vegetable garden to plant this spring. I meant to get the grass turned under this past fall, but didn't get to it. The ground has been frozen, but I can get a shovel in at least 6 inches right now. We are in Zone 6. I was thinking I should still try to get this done as soon as possible, so I called Home Depot today to ask about renting a rototiller. The guy I spoke to said I should wait until spring to turn the grass; otherwise it will just be a big, muddy mess. I thought it would be best to go ahead and start the project, get the soil test done, add some topsoil and other needed amendments, but I don't want to risk making a mud pit during the spring thaw. I'm worried it will result in highly compacted soil that will need to be tilled again before it's planted. Any advice on how to time this would be welcome.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by Bamamama

We are in a new house and I want to put in a small vegetable garden to plant this spring. I meant to get the grass turned under this past fall, but didn't get to it. The ground has been frozen, but I can get a shovel in at least 6 inches right now. We are in Zone 6. I was thinking I should still try to get this done as soon as possible, so I called Home Depot today to ask about renting a rototiller. The guy I spoke to said I should wait until spring to turn the grass; otherwise it will just be a big, muddy mess. I thought it would be best to go ahead and start the project, get the soil test done, add some topsoil and other needed amendments, but I don't want to risk making a mud pit during the spring thaw. I'm worried it will result in highly compacted soil that will need to be tilled again before it's planted. Any advice on how to time this would be welcome.

Be patient. You shouldn't do anything with the soil now. Something about ruining the structure of the soil. After the mud season, pick up a handful of soil and see if it's ready, not hard and yet not muddy. There are various ways of telling but I just pick up some soil and go by how it feels. It will feel like......soil.

I'd say probably sometime in April in your zone. You won't gain anything by starting too soon; you will ruin your soil. The guy at Home Depot is absolutely correct.

[nuts2uiam]

The freeze thaw cycles will kill any benefit you might think you will pick up by doing it now.

[rdlr]

If you are in New England, maybe you should wait.

In mid-state Delaware, some Amish communities have started tilling their gardens. They use horse drawn plows, then disc, then use a harrow.

[Teddy52]

Originally Posted by nuts2uiam

The freeze thaw cycles will kill any benefit you might think you will pick up by doing it now.

Farmers who have heavy soil need the freeze/thaw cycle to prevent clumping in spring.

The freeze/thaw cycle is beneficial to soil as it makes the ground easy to till in spring w/o hard clumps.

[Teddy52]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Be patient. You shouldn't do anything with the soil now. Something about ruining the structure of the soil. After the mud season, pick up a handful of soil and see if it's ready, not hard and yet not muddy. There are various ways of telling but I just pick up some soil and go by how it feels. It will feel like......soil.,

I'd say probably sometime in April in your zone. You won't gain anything by starting too soon; you will ruin your soil. The guy at Home Depot is absolutely correct.

--------"pick up a handful of soil "----

She stated her future garden is grass.

As a farmer, if I didn't get grass plowed under in fall, I did it as early as possible.


I have never heard of..............."damaging the soil".........., but, what would I know ?
I've only lived on a farm for 66 years.

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Be patient. You shouldn't do anything with the soil now. Something about ruining the structure of the soil. After the mud season, pick up a handful of soil and see if it's ready, not hard and yet not muddy. There are various ways of telling but I just pick up some soil and go by how it feels. It will feel like......soil.

I'd say probably sometime in April in your zone. You won't gain anything by starting too soon; you will ruin your soil. The guy at Home Depot is absolutely correct.

Just my opinion, but I'd trust a farmer before I'd trust a Home Depot guy.

[Teddy52]

To clarify.............I would not start working the soil seed bed this early, but definitely get the original plowing/tilling done whenever I can.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by rdlr

Just my opinion, but I'd trust a farmer before I'd trust a Home Depot guy.

Ask any long term gardener and they will know when the soil is ready, you don't have to be a farmer to know.

http://extension.psu.edu/business/st...work-that-soil

http://blog.smartgardener.com/in-the...n-for-planting
"but digging very wet soil can damage its structure and cause long-term harm (not to mention being harder to dig."

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm820.pdf

"Tillage affects soil structure and plant growth
The soil should never be worked when too wet. If
worked under wet conditions, the soil will become hard
and restrict root growth, causing unproductive plants.
If a handful of soil formed into a ball retains its shape,
delay soil tillage until the water content diminishes. If a
handful of soil formed into a ball crumbles when pressed
with the thumb, it is ready for plowing or spading"

[luvmyfloyd]

I would wait till early spring. Will be much easier. But you can go ahead with the soil test, and then stock your soil amendments accordingly to prepare for tilling in spring. Good luck!