Comments on: My new secret weapon http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/ Tales of a country girl and her hens. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:19:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: Nita http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1229 Nita Wed, 14 May 2008 19:30:11 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1229 I'm a die hard gardener and I would never be able to accomplish our gardening without my tiller! GOOD FOR YOU - I say anything that gets you in the garden and keeps you there, is a worthwhile tool. Also, don't worry about the plow pan, deep rooting cover crops can help break it up, even our weeny summer nantes carrots are able to break through and grow very well. I’m a die hard gardener and I would never be able to accomplish our gardening without my tiller! GOOD FOR YOU - I say anything that gets you in the garden and keeps you there, is a worthwhile tool.

Also, don’t worry about the plow pan, deep rooting cover crops can help break it up, even our weeny summer nantes carrots are able to break through and grow very well.

]]> By: sarah http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1226 sarah Wed, 14 May 2008 11:29:24 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1226 Machinery shortcuts are what got my earliest plants in the ground on time this year, too: a kind neighbour used his bulldozer to move our 25 yards of soil into the raised beds for us. The saved week of labour gave us a big head-start on planting. Machinery shortcuts are what got my earliest plants in the ground on time this year, too: a kind neighbour used his bulldozer to move our 25 yards of soil into the raised beds for us. The saved week of labour gave us a big head-start on planting.

]]> By: Denise http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1224 Denise Tue, 13 May 2008 16:14:17 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1224 I'm with you on the tiller love! I created one new bed by hand this year - it took me a week and I was so sore. This past weekend I was able to clear the grass from two new beds, and with the tiller get them tilled and amended. I did end up going through with a fork afterwards and loosening them as deep as the fork would go, so I have probably 12" of loose soil. So much easier and faster than by hand! I’m with you on the tiller love! I created one new bed by hand this year - it took me a week and I was so sore. This past weekend I was able to clear the grass from two new beds, and with the tiller get them tilled and amended. I did end up going through with a fork afterwards and loosening them as deep as the fork would go, so I have probably 12″ of loose soil. So much easier and faster than by hand!

]]> By: Laura http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1222 Laura Tue, 13 May 2008 15:20:59 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1222 Okay, I feel so much better now! Anita - the "evils" are that using a tiller, either a small one like mine or behind a plow, creates a layer of hard pan down around 6 - 8" deep, or however deep your blades go. This layer can create drainage issues and/or prevent plant root systems from going deep enough to take advantage of ground water and other nutrients. That, combined with the fact that it uses gasoline and and it's a big honkin' piece of metal... Oh and apparently Seattle Tilth believes that if you don't work really hard to put your garden in, then it doesn't count as organic gardening... But I have to say that I'm with you on it all being a karmic balance. I'd never have gotten the garden in until June if I'd tried to finish it all by hand. And seeing that my grandfather's roto tiller must be 30 years old and is still being used by my uncle, I'm sure ours will get enough use to justify the resources it took to produce. Okay, I feel so much better now!

Anita - the “evils” are that using a tiller, either a small one like mine or behind a plow, creates a layer of hard pan down around 6 - 8″ deep, or however deep your blades go. This layer can create drainage issues and/or prevent plant root systems from going deep enough to take advantage of ground water and other nutrients.

That, combined with the fact that it uses gasoline and and it’s a big honkin’ piece of metal… Oh and apparently Seattle Tilth believes that if you don’t work really hard to put your garden in, then it doesn’t count as organic gardening…

But I have to say that I’m with you on it all being a karmic balance. I’d never have gotten the garden in until June if I’d tried to finish it all by hand. And seeing that my grandfather’s roto tiller must be 30 years old and is still being used by my uncle, I’m sure ours will get enough use to justify the resources it took to produce.

]]> By: Anita http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1221 Anita Tue, 13 May 2008 13:35:04 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1221 OK, I'm curious... what are the "evils"? (Aside from a little bit of petroleum, or the notion of buying a big 'thing' that too energy to make, I'm stumped.) Does tilling do something bad to the soil? To the critters in it? I have to think that a tool that allows you to grow most of your own food has got to be a net-positive, environmentally. OK, I’m curious… what are the “evils”? (Aside from a little bit of petroleum, or the notion of buying a big ‘thing’ that too energy to make, I’m stumped.) Does tilling do something bad to the soil? To the critters in it?

I have to think that a tool that allows you to grow most of your own food has got to be a net-positive, environmentally.

]]> By: Ali http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1220 Ali Tue, 13 May 2008 13:33:51 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1220 I have rototiller envy. We use a broadfork, but it is a LOT of work in our heavy soil. Now that we've fenced in the garden and are using a modified square-foot system, there's less need for one, but if the trend continues, and the garden continues to grow, I may be asking for tiller recommendations. Have fun! I have rototiller envy. We use a broadfork, but it is a LOT of work in our heavy soil. Now that we’ve fenced in the garden and are using a modified square-foot system, there’s less need for one, but if the trend continues, and the garden continues to grow, I may be asking for tiller recommendations. Have fun!

]]> By: Allie http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1219 Allie Tue, 13 May 2008 12:59:48 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1219 As someone who now wakes up in the morning with a claw of a right hand, I can totally understand your new purchase. Our garden isn't big enough to justify it (and it's finally all worked), but any bigger and it would be a necessity. EL -- I'm so interested in hearing about your lasagna bed! I was going to do that, but ended up digging instead. This morning when my hands hurt so badly, I was wondering if I'd made the wrong decision. As someone who now wakes up in the morning with a claw of a right hand, I can totally understand your new purchase. Our garden isn’t big enough to justify it (and it’s finally all worked), but any bigger and it would be a necessity.

EL — I’m so interested in hearing about your lasagna bed! I was going to do that, but ended up digging instead. This morning when my hands hurt so badly, I was wondering if I’d made the wrong decision.

]]> By: El http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1218 El Tue, 13 May 2008 11:04:27 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1218 Hi Laura: I got one the moment the ground thawed when we first moved in. There's no way I could've done otherwise with our clay soil. My tiller is a big one and yes it's hard work but goodness I couldn't have gardened a thing without it. It's used for bed-building only just to bust up the clay. I then make raised beds and add a ton of other goodies. As a point of contrast, two years ago I tried to do a lasagna bed (cardboard, dirt, compost, shredded paper, etc.) and...I am still waiting for it to be usable. Two years!!! Hi Laura: I got one the moment the ground thawed when we first moved in. There’s no way I could’ve done otherwise with our clay soil. My tiller is a big one and yes it’s hard work but goodness I couldn’t have gardened a thing without it. It’s used for bed-building only just to bust up the clay. I then make raised beds and add a ton of other goodies.

As a point of contrast, two years ago I tried to do a lasagna bed (cardboard, dirt, compost, shredded paper, etc.) and…I am still waiting for it to be usable. Two years!!!

]]> By: gintoino http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1217 gintoino Tue, 13 May 2008 09:54:40 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1217 I'm with you on that one! I also bought a small one (actually much smaller that yours, and electric) and It made live so much easy on my 600 square meter vegetable garden. I’m with you on that one! I also bought a small one (actually much smaller that yours, and electric) and It made live so much easy on my 600 square meter vegetable garden.

]]> By: Kathy http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1215 Kathy Tue, 13 May 2008 09:09:14 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/05/12/my-new-secret-weapon/#comment-1215 Congrats on your new purchase!! My dad used to use a rotary hoe (some machine, different name...) and he knew what he was on about when it came to gardening. I really enjoy following your gardening adventures, keep up the good hard work! You are an inspiration :) Congrats on your new purchase!! My dad used to use a rotary hoe (some machine, different name…) and he knew what he was on about when it came to gardening. I really enjoy following your gardening adventures, keep up the good hard work! You are an inspiration :)

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