Question regarding tilling and NC red clay (to rent, home) - Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary - North Carolina -The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

ahnraleigh · 03-24-2009, 01:59 PM

Although my planting window has passed, I'd like to rent a tiller from one of the major home stores and attempt to till up my rocky clay ridden back yard. I have no experience working with these in the hard clay of NC and am not even sure if this is feasible.

My question is, has anyone ever attempted to till up their clay yards? If so, did you run into problems? Was it even possible? Thanks for the help.

lamishra · 03-24-2009, 02:05 PM

Ho wmuch yard are you talking about? It can be done, but it's hard work. My suggestion would be not to just till the clay, but try to ammend the soil at the same time.
Try to do it when it's a little moist (not wet or you will have a red clay mud pit) and not when it's TOO dry either because that stuff is so compact. You'll probably also kick up a lot of rocks!
Not my idea of fun, but it can be done!

ahnraleigh · 03-24-2009, 02:10 PM

Thanks for the suggestion lamishra, I was planning to add some topsoil and try to work it into the mix then rake out the stones afterward. The patch of clay that I'm talking about is about 60'x10'

toot68 · 03-24-2009, 02:29 PM

You might consider skipping the top soil, and instead till in a bunch of vermicullite (go to the local garden store, not the big box stores, for the really big bags), a few bales of peat moss, and a bunch of compost. And you haven't missed the planting window for many vegatables outside of the spring harvest ones.

Vegetable Garden Planting Guide

adlnc07 · 03-24-2009, 03:44 PM

I had my yard tilled last summer before sod was put in. The company used a large tractor type tiller for most of it, and a small one (what I assume you'd rent) for the edges. Both seemed to go through the clay just fine.

Be sure to have your utilities marked before you start digging!

North_Raleigh_Guy · 03-24-2009, 06:32 PM

I've thought about doing this as well. I think tilling a 60'x10' area is doable but it will be some good old fashioned hard work. I highly recommend tilling in some compost to add organic matter. Also, it is important to note the difference between tilling carolina red clay and building backfill which can contain alot of stone and rocks. The stone and rocks make the backfill more difficult to till up. Good luck!

JQ Public · 03-24-2009, 09:04 PM

Tilling is doable. Just do it now while the soil is moist and workable. In July the soil will be hardpan. I guess it depends on what your doing, but if you're tilling your lawn I'd do it in the fall. If you're tilling a veggie garden bed...I'd do it now and slowly mix in different amendments like lime, peat, composted manure. You may have to make several passes at the soil. I like making furrows if I have a big enough area to till.

ahnraleigh · 03-25-2009, 07:28 AM

Thanks for all of the suggestions! If I wasn't clear earlier, the part of my back yard would be used for planting grass. It's currently on a slight slope. NRG, I'm thinking that it may be building backfill as there are a lot of stones in this particular part of my yard. My goal would be to till this up now, remove the stones, add some organic matter, let it settle and plant at the end of the season.

lamishra · 03-25-2009, 01:52 PM

sounds like a really good plan.

darman1484 · 03-25-2009, 02:22 PM

I actually did a section about 75 * 20 today which was some clay and mostly backfill full of rocks. I tilled it once, picked up rocks, tilled it again, picked up rocks, dropped a yard of soil conditioner (should have used 2 or 3), lime and grass seed, tilled it, raked, laid grass seed and raked again. All told it took probably 8 hours over two days. Not terribly difficult. What I learned was the more you till, the better the soil gets. Over and over and over in my case.