Is it worth mid-season tilling?

Emeoba69 · July 9, 2015

Due in part to traveling around the time I planted and continuous rainfall I never had a chance to till the hard clay soil in my Cincinnati garden this year. My plants are all stunted and my best guess is the hard soil. I am wondering if I could dig most of my plants out, till, and replant this late in the season to show any results? I have some pictures below as reference as their size when they went in the first week of May and today. Ive thought about tilling but it has really been non stop rain. In any case this year I have to amend the soil with some pine fines and/or compost at the end of the season!

From May

From today 7/9

Gardeneer · July 11, 2015

How big/tall your plants are ?
Depending how many are there, if they are about under 2 feet tall, you can dig them out , carefully, (after watering), place /lay them down on a tarp in the shade, till and AMEND ..>>> replant. Do it in the late afternoon.

Tomatoes are very tough and transplant friendly.

Gardeneer

Gardeneer.

Emeoba69 · July 12, 2015

Sorry my pics links broke, Ill try again. I'd say 2/3rds of my plants are 2' or less. One side had more pine fines mixed in from last years transplanting seem to be doing better. Surprisingly the monofiliment fence is keeping the deer at bay this year......So far. Rabbits are another story. I really don't know if Ill catch a break with the rain. It has rained almost every day for the past month and a half. I hear tilling wet clay makes it worse.

From May

From last week.

AlittleSalt · July 12, 2015

I have a new garden that stayed wet well past the continuous rainfall in May and part of June. The soil even smelled wet. I took out all the stunted pepper plants 17 days ago and planted them in our established garden. The plants were a foot tall or less. They are finally starting to grow.

I did till most of that new garden after removing the pepper plants to help it dry out. I'm going to put raised beds in that garden.

July 9, 2015	#1
Emeoba69 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 37	Is it worth mid-season tilling? Due in part to traveling around the time I planted and continuous rainfall I never had a chance to till the hard clay soil in my Cincinnati garden this year. My plants are all stunted and my best guess is the hard soil. I am wondering if I could dig most of my plants out, till, and replant this late in the season to show any results? I have some pictures below as reference as their size when they went in the first week of May and today. Ive thought about tilling but it has really been non stop rain. In any case this year I have to amend the soil with some pine fines and/or compost at the end of the season! From May From today 7/9

July 12, 2015	#3
Emeoba69 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 37	Sorry my pics links broke, Ill try again. I'd say 2/3rds of my plants are 2' or less. One side had more pine fines mixed in from last years transplanting seem to be doing better. Surprisingly the monofiliment fence is keeping the deer at bay this year......So far. Rabbits are another story. I really don't know if Ill catch a break with the rain. It has rained almost every day for the past month and a half. I hear tilling wet clay makes it worse. From May From last week. Last edited by Emeoba69; July 12, 2015 at 03:31 PM.

July 11, 2015	#2
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	How big/tall your plants are ? Depending how many are there, if they are about under 2 feet tall, you can dig them out , carefully, (after watering), place /lay them down on a tarp in the shade, till and AMEND ..>>> replant. Do it in the late afternoon. Tomatoes are very tough and transplant friendly. Gardeneer Gardeneer.

July 12, 2015	#4
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I have a new garden that stayed wet well past the continuous rainfall in May and part of June. The soil even smelled wet. I took out all the stunted pepper plants 17 days ago and planted them in our established garden. The plants were a foot tall or less. They are finally starting to grow. I did till most of that new garden after removing the pepper plants to help it dry out. I'm going to put raised beds in that garden.