Any gardeners out there?

I have to start up the rototiller pretty quick. The neigbors have been giving me the worried look. I take an hour or two and till everybodies garden. Mines a 6 footer. Use it one day a year Scott

I've had gardens all my life but I decided that it's too much work. Thisy year I plan on planting wild flowers and just enjoy the flowers with minimal effort.

coaledsweat wrote:Bingo! I picked up a Troy Built for $400 last night.
Half the backyard is a garden this afternoon.

Now, mulch the tilled area with six inches of hay. Repeat annually. Sell the tiller to somebody else for $400 -- you will never need it again.

rberq wrote:Now, mulch the tilled area with six inches of hay. Repeat annually. Sell the tiller to somebody else for $400 -- you will never need it again.

Its true. When I was in grade school, my Dad used to buy truckloads of "USED" horse stall straw. Horse manure in the straw bedding. Us kids were tasked with spreading each load around the 1 acre veggi garden. Not only did it loosen up the soil, the vegis grew REALLY well.
I have GREAT soil where I live now, so I will just add the Chicky-poo-compost-pile on top of it

I plan on starting my first garden this year for sure. I have terrible soil though, its a mix of super wet and rocky or on the other side of the lawn it all clay. They tell me that in 1910 when all the houses on my street were built they pulled all the nice sand out of what is now my back yard to build the foundations of all the rest. I was think of a raised bed by just having some garden mix soil dumped out back and raking it out 6 or 8 inches deep to whatever size I need. I dont know I wish I had a buddy with a backhoe! Whatever I end up doing Im keeping it small this time so I can learn a few things first. I did plant about a month ago 5 new grape vines(all varieties) 2 apple trees, 2 cherry trees, and a nectarine tree. They are all leafing out allready and look fabulous. Ill start a new thread for fruit growers with pictures shortly. I didnt start with prepotted Lowes(youll take what we have )trees, I bought them at a nursery as bare-root stock.

Jim

The gardens all tilled here so time to take the tiller of the tractor and put the mower on We have 9 apple trees outback so its like a deer interstate out there to fence off our garden is a pain in the @ss. so I plant marigolds around the garden and the deer hate the smell of them and wont walk ithin 20 feet of it. It's a good cheap trick to try.

blue_chopper wrote:I plant marigolds around the garden and the deer hate the smell of them

Hmmm. That's worth a try. How far apart do you plant the marigolds? Any particular variety that is stinkier than others?

I just wing it. i'll say every 8 feet or so. I used the orange ones but havent tried the other colors.