I have a garden that was built long before I came to live here. it butts right up to the garage so there's a section between the garage and propane tank that is useless. I want to extend the garden out a little more and bring in some dry compost from the local feed lot.
what's the best way to break up the hard ground? by hand with a shovel? skidsteer with forks/bucket? I have a tiller that's about 20" wide and walk behind that I don't think will do the job solo.
is it better to get the ground moist or just do it in the spring when it is a little wetter?
if it were in the field I'd use a chisel plow, but that's not an option here.
Thanks
Get yourself a "Water Pick" and START now,....putting in a grid of sub-irrigated soil,....WELL below what a tiller will be setting for "plow sole".
Once you're able to move around a bit down there,...in some of your first semi dried up holes,....pull samples, and test to see what's needed DOWN THERE,....to raise or lower PH,...water pick in a denser and denser pattern, and set up to go for initial DEEP tillage, with a single point ripper, if possible.....a SHOVEL, if that's what it has to be.
Roto tillers have their place,...but are NOT the way to get a good plot started, or reawakened....define and understand PLOW SOLE,....something that tillers EXCELL at creating, in anything but deep loam.
GTC
