17-04-2004, 07:42 PM
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Rototilling while ground wet?
writes:
Rick Charnes wrote:
I want to start preparing my backyard vegetable garden for planting here
in suburban Boston, but we've had quite a bit of rain in the last week.
How bad is it to rototill while the ground is still wet?
Short answer: Very.
Longer answer: It does depend on just how wet it is. At the muddy
extreme, a small rototiller may just bog down. If it's drier than that
but still wet enough that the soil stays in large or small clumps, you
end up with a collection of clumps that subsequent rain tends to flow
around, not through. (A lumpy soil is also harder for plants to sink
roots into.)
I'd have said you'll know when you start.g
Seriously, you really need to wait until the soil crumbles more than
clumps. If you can turn over two or three spades full and then easily
rake it "down" then you are probably okay, but if you have problems raking
it, then it's too wet. With that said, I'll add that much depends on your
soil.
My garden had idea conditions for rototiller earlier this week and I
wasn't able to do it. With three days of rain, some of it rather heavy, I
will be waiting another week or at least three or four days with no
significant rain even with the excellent drainage in the garden. Though
I'm impatient, I've learned it's better all the way around to wait those
extra days. In addition to being more difficult to plant in (much more
effort required), it's also much more work to run the tiller when the soil
is too wet.
Just my thoughts.
Glenna
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