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Montoursville, PA

Mother put on the ofense last fall. Many of us were caught with compost, manures and leaves, on the patch, when we were effectively frozen out, of our patches, a month ahead of schedule.

What to do? Rake and haul off the leaves to the compost pile and till the fall placed compost and manures in.

Get a rear end tiller and till it all in if by early, to middle, of April?

Add any fertilizer to help with the faster conversion to useable elements. What and how much per 1000 sq foot patch?

Open the nursery mother load hole and add some fresh to creat heat?

Cover patch with black plastic to help a little?

I've never faced a ball game like this when thinking enter soil with transplants in early May.

OK guys!!! Stoke your chins and enter forth your opinions. I'm sure more than just I will be looking at the responses.

Here it is March 1 and we hope to be ready to set plants out under cold frames, by the first, to the fifth of May.

2/28/2003 5:21:16 PM

South Hill, Virginia

My leaves are also still laying on top of my patch. Im assuming they are a bit more rotten than they appear on the surface and I'm going to just till them in.

2/28/2003 5:24:54 PM

Ontario

till it all in as soon as you can , while the leaves are still wet and moist .

2/28/2003 5:41:47 PM

Roanoke Il

Doc when the soil is workable just till the leaves and stuff you may want to burry the leaves where you are going to plant about 2 feet deep with some fertilizer if you have fresh cow manure no need add fertilizer. Wet it down good 5 lbs of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 8x8 planting area then cover your planting spot with plastic this will warm the ground quicker. For the rest of the patch 40lbs of 10-10-10 fertilizer spread over the top of the leaves should help break down the leaves(per 1000sq feet).Till your Patch once or twice a week and by the time your plant starts running the leaves will be broke down. Hope this helps. mark

2/28/2003 5:47:59 PM

[email protected]

'bout froze my tookous off doing it, but mine got double reverse & single forward tilled. Then I applied about .75#/N from ammonium nitrate just before the snow flew at Christmas time.

I'd agree with the reco's of Rich, PD762, & Mark in your case Dwaine. Just make sure the soil is workably dry enough to till. Working wet soil is worse than doing nothing.

Though not practical in many cases, tarping can help to raise soil temps & prevent water saturation in April. Just don't go the other way by leaving it covered too long. I sell those turf covers to ball field & golf course super's. These are removed on very warm days to prevent "cooking" the turf & moderating humidity below the cover. Unless a cover crop was planted, I wouldn't worry about things getting too hot.

Steve

2/28/2003 7:20:01 PM

Deer Park WA

docgipe, I recomend covering the ground (unless under cover crop!)with a clear plastic, cover compost piles with the dark tarps and stir the compost at least twice a month (keep it moist). As for me it is still way to early to disturb the slumbering AG patches; now plowing down the East 3 acre patch for commercial jack-O-lanterns has been going on hit and miss for the last Month!

2/28/2003 10:58:49 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

OH When will be my soil enough dry to till? Last fall was, this winter is the wettest in many years.

3/1/2003 3:05:47 AM

Bemidji, MN

Doc, now you know what us Minnesota growers go through every year.Steve

3/2/2003 11:16:59 AM

Montoursville, PA

In other words I'm to reach back and pinch my butt. If there is any sensation and the tiller will run have at it. This is more in line with my scientific approach although you all have had some effect on me. I have tested and will test again this spring. I may even pay for the humis test to see where I am at. Guessing 8% or better.

Now where can I rent a snow melter and patch drier? As of now there seems to be only one available. It has not shown its face very much up to this point this spring.

3/4/2003 10:25:09 AM