The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: certain-death on January 02, 2017, 10:23:02 am

Title: Tools for preparing vegetable area
Post by: certain-death on January 02, 2017, 10:23:02 am

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice on what I need to get to prep ground for a large(ish) vegatable area.

The ground is currently grass, I have a tractor (135) and I'm looking to buy the tools to remove the ground and prep for planting mixed vegetables.

Does the ground have to be ploughed or will a cultivator remove the grass and prep enough for planting?

What is best to use on the following years to re prep the ground?

Any advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks

Ian

Title: Re: Tools for preparing vegetable area
Post by: Fleecewife on January 02, 2017, 12:15:05 pm

How large is large ie what area will you cultivate?
If you plough, then eventually many of the grasses etc will reappear.  On a farm scale, the ground is sprayed first and all vegetation allowed to die down before ploughing.  As this is for you to grow vegetables on I can't imagine you will be wanting to cover the whole area with poisons.  You could cover with large tarpaulins for a year before ploughing to kill off the vegetation, but that would mean postponing starting your garden for a whole year.
On a garden scale, the usual thing is to lift off the turf (you can probably hire a machine for that).  This is not wasted, as you stack the turves upside down and cover the heap.  In a year or two you have some wonderful loamy topsoil to spread back onto your garden.
Once you have cleared the ground, a PTO mounted rotavator passed a couple of times over the area will prepare it for planting, whilst not disturbing the soil structure too much.  If your soil is not deep, then ploughing simply brings subsoil to the top, which you don't want.  The rotavator can be used to work in manure too, and will be invaluable in future years.  This depends on the area you will be cultivating of course - a wheeled garden sized rotavator might do, but does not cultivate so regularly or deeply.

Title: Re: Tools for preparing vegetable area
Post by: YorkshireLass on January 02, 2017, 07:55:48 pm

Spend the money on a bulk load of compost :)


http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/no-dig-growing/allotments/ (http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/no-dig-growing/allotments/)


NB - garden only 9 months old at time of filming



https://youtu.be/HATC3rG6NbQ (https://youtu.be/HATC3rG6NbQ)


Edit - ploughing / rotavating will chop and spread weed roots, and disturb the entire seedbank (you'll get more coming up and germinating. I'd mow it short, to make life easier and use that to start a compost heap.

Title: Re: Tools for preparing vegetable area
Post by: big soft moose on January 02, 2017, 10:37:20 pm

Or cover it over with a piece of silage sheet (or weed membrane) and wait for the grass underneath to die then plough /cultivate it in