We called the guy with the tractor. And he came. And he tilled. Woot!
Miraculously, in less than an hour, the garden space has just about tripled. I figure this new space is about 160 m2/1440 sq ft, but my metric is shakey.
First, he brought the big tractor to plow. That didn´t go so well. The 30-odd years of luxuriantly long pasture grass proved tough to get through. So he went away and promised to come back to disc. An hour later he was back with the junior version of the big tractor and everything went much better.
I am under instructions to not touch the plot until February or about 2 weeks before wanting to plant anything. In the meantime, frost and freeze should take care of the shredded vegetable matter, leaving a lovely tilth when tilled again. The good news is it will be just in time for planting potatoes. The bad news is no garlic this year.
Now all the no till folks will be up in arms, but I don´t intend to do much, if any re-tilling. I´d like raised beds with narrow paths that can be worked with a broadfork. And now I have room for sweet corn!
Breo´s eyes goggled at the bone burying possibilities.
Hi Coco,
ReplyDeleteWell, even "no till" as an idea can be taken too far. I applaud what you are doing. When the excavator guy was here cutting in the house site, I got him to deep rip an area that is now an orchard. After he finished we spread by hand many wheelbarrow loads of compost and then broadcast some seeds.
After about eight years, that area has perfect drainage and there is about 20cm (2/3rds of a foot) of top soil. You watch over the next few years as it will slowly become more fertile. It will take some time and protection from the summer sun.
Go Breo and may you enjoy hiding your bones!
Chris
garlic in big tubs?
ReplyDeleteHi Chris,
ReplyDeleteHopefully, this area will be covered by veggies and flowers in the summer! The tractor guy is going to ask around if there´s a source for manure that will deliver. The soil actually looks wonderful. So now I´m enthusiastic again.
Hi GZ,
I still have garlic in storage from this year, and of course bought some for planting. I´m seriously considering going into micro scale flower farming, so would like to use the other patch for some seed sowing experiments and perennials. Garlic is pretty readily available, and grown domestically (i.e. not from China, unlike some places)so I´m OK with missing out for a year.
Hi, Coco!
ReplyDeleteLook at all that wonderful turned soil! And it's flat! How is Breo? Is he up to burying any bones? And I was sorry to hear, over at Fernglade, about your drought. Should winter be your rainy season?
Pam
Hi Pam,
ReplyDeleteBreo´s still on short leash duty, so no bones there - yet. And yes, the drought is ongoing. We´ve gotten a little rain the last couple of days, but October and November and shaping up to be mostly dry. There are a couple of major cities that will be out of water by early next year if this keeps up. Scary.