Gardening Help, When do I till?

[diablo750]

Simple question, in east central Indiana when can you expect to till the ground and start planting? Doing a garden for the first time this year. To be more specific what's and acceptable time to be sure their wont be a frost?

 

[Fargo]

I normally plant right around Mother's day for tomatos and peppers etc. Lettuce and some other seeds can probably go earlier.

Best regards,

Joe

 

[bwframe]

Simple question, in east central Indiana when can you expect to till the ground and start planting? Doing a garden for the first time this year. To be more specific what's and acceptable time to be sure their wont be a frost?

That a big question with a huge amount of variables.
Peas - now
Potatoes - soon
Spinach - soon
Brocolli/Cauliflour/Cabbage, etc. - soon

Non frost tolerant crops - first/second week of May.

In between, IF the weather seems to be cooperating, you can attempt some "sacrificial" beans, lettuce, carrots, etc.

 

[patience0830]

Simple question, in east central Indiana when can you expect to till the ground and start planting? Doing a garden for the first time this year. To be more specific what's and acceptable time to be sure their wont be a frost?

One should till when the ground is dry enough that the tilling leaves loose friable soil. Too moist and you're just making mud balls. You CAN however, turn parts of the garden that you wish to plant sooner with a shovel. My peas and lettuce will go in soon this way.

 

[88GT]

One should till when the ground is dry enough that the tilling leaves loose friable soil. Too moist and you're just making mud balls. You CAN however, turn parts of the garden that you wish to plant sooner with a shovel. My peas and lettuce will go in soon this way.

This. Tilling is less about frost dates and more about soil moisture. I would recommend a garden fork instead of a shovel though.

Incidentally, the central Indiana area's last frost date is the first week in May, different sources place it at different dates. I've seen everything from May 3 through May 10. However if you don't want to have to wait until September for tomatoes and peppers, start them indoors now.

 

[snapping turtle]

Till when you can. Plant before Memorial Day weekend. Radishes and lettuce can go in soon. Potatoes soon (have been told at patties day). If you have a good garden center let them take care of the plants for now and buy them started. Peppers
and tomatoes might as well wait cause until it is warm they don't grow much. Increase the temp by red mulch or a temp tent over them.

Onions can be planted early also. All cold weather stuff can go in any time from now till may.

Brand new garden take a tarp and stake it over the grass and kill it and the weeds off. A quick roundup spray will get the roots also requiring less future weeding which is what we all hate to do. The less grass roots that survive the less you have to pull later.

 

[Cameramonkey]

That a big question with a huge amount of variables.
Peas - now
Potatoes - soon
Spinach - soon
Brocolli/Cauliflour/Cabbage, etc. - soon

Non frost tolerant crops - first/second week of May.

In between, IF the weather seems to be cooperating, you can attempt some "sacrificial" beans, lettuce, carrots, etc.

NOOOOO! Not this year! Grandma taught me "the weekend after St Pattys day" for peas, lettuce, and onions. Not this year. Its too cold.

Typically I have to cover a couple nights due to frost warnings. This year I expect at least a hard freeze or maybe two with as cold as this winter has been. I'm not putting my peas, etc in the ground this year until at least the first week of April.

 

[bwframe]

NOOOOO! Not this year! Grandma taught me "the weekend after St Pattys day" for peas, lettuce, and onions. Not this year. Its too cold.

Typically I have to cover a couple nights due to frost warnings. This year I expect at least a hard freeze or maybe two with as cold as this winter has been. I'm not putting my peas, etc in the ground this year until at least the first week of April.

There'll be a lot of guesstimating going on this year, won't there? I'm hoping for 10 degrees warmer than you northerners.
88GT is absolutely right on the moisture, but you can game it a bit with the Mantis and freeze/thaw busting the marbles. There'd be a lot more gaming with tents, covers and such if I had her beautiful garden beds.

 

[dirtfarmerz]

Out of the link: "Wait two to four weeks after tilling in a cover crop before seeding to allow for the decomposition of the dead plant material."

Rototilling four weeks before you plant is best. My family starts everything in a greenhouse and then we plant it in the garden around May 15th. The nice thing about having a greenhouse is that you don't have to hurry planting outside. My wife has okra, peas, and tomatoes growing now.

Growing Cover Crops peas fall rye clover green manure gardening

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Long story short, till as soon as it's dry enough. Plant hardy stuff next few weeks, summery stuff mid April earliest.

 

[88GT]

There'll be a lot of guesstimating going on this year, won't there? I'm hoping for 10 degrees warmer than you northerners.
88GT is absolutely right on the moisture, but you can game it a bit with the Mantis and freeze/thaw busting the marbles. There'd be a lot more gaming with tents, covers and such if I had her beautiful garden beds.

Aw, thanks. I wish I could take credit for such "beauty." They really came about as a necessity when we realized that the area we originally intended to plant was nothing but rock.

I bought covers for for the first time this year. And I am trying to figure out whether I want to put things in when I normally do or wait a couple of weeks. I've been keeping an eye on the 10-day forecast and we just can't seem to get away from day time high in the 30s. High 30s, to be sure, but still well below the seasonal temps for this time of year. I've got my box of seed packets sitting in the office, just daring me to put them in on schedule.

Its going to be an interesting growing season, that's for sure.

 

[bwframe]

Aw, thanks. I wish I could take credit for such "beauty." They really came about as a necessity when we realized that the area we originally intended to plant was nothing but rock.

I bought covers for for the first time this year. And I am trying to figure out whether I want to put things in when I normally do or wait a couple of weeks. I've been keeping an eye on the 10-day forecast and we just can't seem to get away from day time high in the 30s. High 30s, to be sure, but still well below the seasonal temps for this time of year. I've got my box of seed packets sitting in the office, just daring me to put them in on schedule.

Its going to be an interesting growing season, that's for sure.

I'll be looking forward to pics of your stuff this year. You obviously work very hard in the garden.

 

[Slawburger]

Check here for planting dates: 2014 Best Spring Planting Dates for Seeds for Louisville, KY <--- You can enter your own location

Tilling depends on soil moisture. Here is a rule of thumb: Grab a handful of soil from about 4-6" deep and squeeze it into a ball. Drop it on the ground. If it stays in a ball, the ground is too wet. If it breaks into pieces, the soil is dry enough to work. Alternatively, try crumbling the ball in your hand if it breaks into big pieces, work the soil, if water squeezes out or it won't break up then it is too wet.

 

[aescsar]

I'll join the chorus of "when it is dry enough." I usually till in the fall and let the chickens in to eat grubs turned up, and then again in the spring when we've had 4-5 days of sun and no rain, the chickens get another shot at the bugs.

 

[Zoub]

There'll be a lot of guesstimating going on this year, won't there? I'm hoping for 10 degrees warmer than you northerners.
88GT is absolutely right on the moisture, but you can game it a bit with the Mantis and freeze/thaw busting the marbles. There'd be a lot more gaming with tents, covers and such if I had her beautiful garden beds.

My major guestimate today is do I run the snow blower later today after the 3 days of snowing is over, or just let this crap stand and melt slowly, on top of the now frozen crap that has yet to melt.

Lots of Indoor starts here. I always turn some soil in Fall just to make Spring easier.

 

[XDLover]

I was laughing the other day because when I checked my garden it is still way to wet to til yet. I pulled back my winter bedding to see and it needs a good week of sun to make that happen I'm sure.
I usually get the potato in the ground middle April, then wait for other things closer to the first week of May.

 

[88GT]

This thread has really had me thinking on when to start. I hesitate to plant even the early spring outdoor starts on schedule because I just don't see much in the way of growth. Cool/cold tolerant is different than being able to thrive in cool/cold. If we don't get up to seasonal temps, I don't see me planting in the ground anytime soon. I'm going to wait for conditions that won't stress the plants so much.

 

[bwframe]

I noticed some exposed cracks in the ground this afternoon, (along with my rhubarb starting to peak through.)

If the wind blows as it has through tomorrow, I may drag the tiny tiller through the early planting spots on Friday.

 

[d.kaufman]

Im in nwi but I will generally start my plants indoors now and till and plant around mothers day. If I can get them in the ground earlier I will, however that relies on the unreliable weatherman

 

[Expat]

My garden is still completely covered with white stuff. I am beginning to wonder when I will be able to get out there...