Starting a garden.... Can you point me in the right direction?

[patandchickens]

I always get stuck with something either clay or silt six inches down that needs all the organic amendments it can get. And that is a horrible chore and a half to till, which I try to spread out over a couple of days.

I can't rototill at all -- I guess I have borderline carpal tunnel syndrome or sumpin' because the couple of times in the last 10 yrs I have tried to use a tiller, for only like 15 minutes, I've wound up with numb hands for several days.

I just don't really see the attraction of tilling, though. <shrug> Who says that everything has to start off homogeneously blended into the soil?

Enh. You rough up the soil in Fall by digging it over in big ol' chunks here and there, dump whatever amendments across the top, turn 'em roughly in with a fork in spring, whack the soil with a bow rake til the clods are small enough to rake smooth, then plant. This is actually MUCH LESS work than it sounds in black and white.

Realio trulio, the natural processes of frost and worms and so forth get it pretty well all mixed together and the plants do fine. It mixes in with the lower layer in time, and really if you are on clay do you *want* to be deliberately mixing subsoil into your planting soil by deep tilling or double-digging *anyhow*?

For direct-sown seeds you can do extra preparation if it seems to need it, but just the top couple inches and just along thr furrow where they will actually be planted.

Those who screw up their courage to try it will find it works just about as well as playing 'human Waring blender', and you can save your energies for other things.

Just my opinion,

Pat