They call me "Mr.Douglas",Oliver Wendell Douglas!

[312Hydro 473]

Well, couldn't contain my enthusiasm Friday ! Had the Sears plow mounted up on the 312H and my father in law came over to see it . I've got to tell you that it took a lot of head scratching for me to figure out how to make it work. I'm about as GREEN a farmer as you will ever find. Oh the plow worked, but I had a hard time getting it to plow by the right tire. Actually, I'm still not sure it's set up right. Also I have to tell you that my ''garden" is in full sun and clay type soil.

I want to make it larger but I just might keep it more manageable this year.

I plan on running the tiller next on it. I would like to know what should I put on the garden before I till it in?I'd like to get the dirt more loose? The soil gets very hard and seems to bake everything.

I'd show you a picture of the plants I started from seed but they aren't much to look at. Probably going to have to buy starter plants before I'm done.

Anyway, I thought I'd start this post as a small log of my gardening experience this year. I'm always looking at other gardens wishing I could grow those 6 foot tall tomato plants (mine were like 2 ft?).

If there are any tips to be had I'm all ears.

I do read the posts in this section and You all have great looking gardens.

[bowtiebutler956 649]

I always like to see a hard at work! I can't help you with your gardening, I have a brown thumb.

Matt :flags-texas:

[AMC RULES 36,944]

Set up correctly, or not...looks like determination won your day Oliver.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Wendell_Douglas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MzfDcAUkb8&feature=related

[312Hydro 473]

I always like to see a hard at work! I can't help you with your gardening, I have a brown thumb.

Matt

I knew for anyone to have any interest in my posts I had to put a in the picture! X2 on the gardening for me!

[312Hydro 473]

Set up correctly, or not...looks like determination won your day Oliver.

http://en.wikipedia....Wendell_Douglas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MzfDcAUkb8&feature=related

ROFl!! That's classic! Sure felt like him yesterday. Thanks for sharing that, I saw I had Wendell spelled wrong too!

[Jim_M 178]

You can mix in a bunch of peat moss, and a little sand to help loosen the clay. Composted manure would be a good idea too.

In the fall when the garden is done cover it with 4 inches of green manure (not composted) and eventually that hard clay will be rich black dirt.

[312Hydro 473]

You can mix in a bunch of peat moss, and a little sand to help loosen the clay. Composted manure would be a good idea too.

In the fall when the garden is done cover it with 4 inches of green manure (not composted) and eventually that hard clay will be rich black dirt.

Thanks Jim. I have a compost pile that I started years ago (16) and never used. I'll check to see how good it is and start using it. I guess the bagged manure is what I can use now? How many inches would you put down before tilling it in? As far as the sand goes,any idea of an amount ? I know it's probably a guesstimate but maybe a 1/4 inch per square foot? Thanks again!

[DoctorHfuhruhurr 132]

I've seen the big farmers by me turn over their soil in the fall so that the freezing and thawing breaks up the clumps by spring.

[312Hydro 473]

I've seen the big farmers by me turn over their soil in the fall so that the freezing and thawing breaks up the clumps by spring.

I think that some of the members do that here too. Being really new to this I thought I would till the garden in in the fall too.

[Jim_M 178]

That sounds about right for the sand, I wouldn't use more than that. Put down as much manure as you can afford. Put the compost on 2 to 4 inches thick and till it all in. Add as much manure as you can every fall and till it in. It takes a few years but eventually you'll have nice rich dirt.

Clay soil doesn't like to be worked when it's wet, it will turn into a brick. Make sure it's dry when you work your ground.

[312Hydro 473]

That sounds about right for the sand, I wouldn't use more than that. Put down as much maure as you can afford. Put the compost on 2 to 4 inches thick and till it all in. Add as much manure as you can every fall and till it in. It takes a few years but eventually you'll have nice rich dirt.

Clay soil doesn't like to be worked when it's wet, it will turn into a brick. Make sure it's dry when you work your ground.

Thanks for the advice Jim. :greetings-wavegreen:

[CasualObserver 3,406]

You can add in some vermiculite and/or perlite too, they're tiny porous lightweight stone that help keep your soil loose and help with drainage/water retention. I use it along with some sand. You can generally find it in the soil amendments/potting soil section of a store.

If you have much clay in your soil, you might be as well off to just have a load of your tilled clay taken out and replaced with a load of black dirt.

[312Hydro 473]

You can add in some vermiculite and/or perlite too, they're tiny porous lightweight stone that help keep your soil loose and help with drainage/water retention. I use it along with some sand. You can generally find it in the soil amendments/potting soil section of a store.

If you have much clay in your soil, you might be as well off to just have a load of your tilled clay taken out and replaced with a load of black dirt.

Thanks Jason. Most of the dirt you see in the pics was topsoil that I had trucked in years ago. Being that the garden faces north it gets full sun all day it always hardens the surface a lot. I was looking at the peat moss at Home Depot and it was $10 a bag and the composted manure was around $3 for 25 lb.. They also had mushroom compost. I wonder if that is good too?

[Tim 97]

if you want to keep your costs down, get dehydrated cow manure (it's probably the same as your composted manure) and put some at the bottom of the hole for each plant you put in the ground.. this way the nutrients are right at the roots of the plants. if your throwing in truck loads of manure,then i'd throw it in, spread it out, till it in. Other than that I would do everything else above to get your soil in good condition.

[312Hydro 473]

if you want to keep your costs down, get dehydrated cow manure (it's probably the same as your composted manure) and put some at the bottom of the hole for each plant you put in the ground.. this way the nutrients are right at the roots of the plants. if your throwing in truck loads of manure,then i'd throw it in, spread it out, till it in. Other than that I would do everything else above to get your soil in good condition.

Thanks for the advice,Tim. That would keep the costs down. I'm going to check out some more options on where to buy this stuff.

[Jim_M 178]

My brother lives near a mushroom "farm" in Illinois and buys used mushroom compost for $10.00 a ton. It looks like a mixture of composted manure and peat moss. He puts a couple of tons on his garden every spring and it's really improved his soil a lot. He always has a great looking garden, that produces very well.

[312Hydro 473]

My brother lives near a mushroom "farm" in Illinois and buys used mushroom compost for $10.00 a ton. It looks like a mixture of composted manure and peat moss. He puts a couple of tons on his garden every spring and it's really improved his soil a lot. He always has a great looking garden, that produces very well.

Home Depot wants $4 a bag. That would be great to get too.

[312Hydro 473]

I thought you might want to see the tiller and Mid Mount Pulley on action."If you like to watch paint dry then you're in for a real treat!"