Using a rotovator
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tremone
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
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- Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 1:50 pm
- Location: Inishowen, Co.Donegal, Rep. of Ireland
Using a rotovator
If I cut down the grass to lawn type level and clear the trimmings, can I then use a rotovator over the ground and cover with black plastic, will the grass break down, or do i have to dig squares of grass turf and turn them over. I have a nicely sized plot but the second method would be a real back breaking job.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
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hedgewizard
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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The grass will rot down anyway. I have to ask though - why turn the soil at all? If you just mow (spreading clippings) and sheet, provided the plastic is thick agricultural grade stuff (or eco-alternatives) the grass will die and rot anyway. If you can't wait that long before planting, then cut an X where you're going to plant and apply a 10cm mulch of compost or earth right over the cut, and plant into the top of it. The roots will go through the mulch into the soil beneath.
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digiveg
- Barbara Good
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I agree with Hedgie. Aside from his useful comments, rotovators tend to cut just about every living thing into lots of useless segments; and, if it's couch grass, it can sprout from a teeny little itsy bit of root - so whatever you're going to do to the bed it should include dealing with that.
I don't use rotowhatsits myself; my arms buzz for about a month after, and I don't want to kill everything. Well, anything actually...except couch grass!
I don't use rotowhatsits myself; my arms buzz for about a month after, and I don't want to kill everything. Well, anything actually...except couch grass!
I used to use a rotary hoe for many years, then went to double digging and now I am using the no-dig philosophy. rotary hoeing grass that runs like couch or kikuyu can make things worse by giving you a deep diestribution of runners, which then all head for the surface.
So I agree with Hedgie!
Nev
So I agree with Hedgie!
Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
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Stonehead
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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I use a rotavator for some jobs but...
1. I grow veg on a fairly large scale (so quarter of an acre of tatties alone) and need to level the larger areas after the pigs have been in.
2. I don't rotavate the raised beds, of which there are 20. I did double dig them by hand because I had to mix in soil from about six sources, plus huge loads of muck. (The site used to be a horse arena so the beds are on top of a deep bed of sand over extensive ground drains.)
3. If you're going to rotavate, you have to get the weeds out first. Otherwise, as has been said before, you will get more weeds than ever.
4. While I do lose some bugs, worms and creepy crawlies to the rotavator, I then fork in mounds of muck and compost into which I've tipped bucketloads of worms. I'm absolutely certain I'm putting in more critters than I've put back having shovelled out up to a ton of muck at a time!
5. If you really, really want to rotavate, consider hiring or borrowing one. You really only need to own a decent one if you're planning to grow veg on a large scale (in our case we grow veg for four of us, plus up to eight pigs and aim to have enough for at least nine months of the year).
6. If you get a rotavator, consider going for one of the large two-wheel tractors that can take different implements over and above the rotavator. The larger engines are less stressed and it's much easier to earth up or trenching using a two-wheeled tractor with a ridging plough than it is pushing a hand ridger. Believe me, I know! (The two-wheeled tractors can also take mowers, snow blowers, chippers, ploughs etc.)
1. I grow veg on a fairly large scale (so quarter of an acre of tatties alone) and need to level the larger areas after the pigs have been in.
2. I don't rotavate the raised beds, of which there are 20. I did double dig them by hand because I had to mix in soil from about six sources, plus huge loads of muck. (The site used to be a horse arena so the beds are on top of a deep bed of sand over extensive ground drains.)
3. If you're going to rotavate, you have to get the weeds out first. Otherwise, as has been said before, you will get more weeds than ever.
4. While I do lose some bugs, worms and creepy crawlies to the rotavator, I then fork in mounds of muck and compost into which I've tipped bucketloads of worms. I'm absolutely certain I'm putting in more critters than I've put back having shovelled out up to a ton of muck at a time!
5. If you really, really want to rotavate, consider hiring or borrowing one. You really only need to own a decent one if you're planning to grow veg on a large scale (in our case we grow veg for four of us, plus up to eight pigs and aim to have enough for at least nine months of the year).
6. If you get a rotavator, consider going for one of the large two-wheel tractors that can take different implements over and above the rotavator. The larger engines are less stressed and it's much easier to earth up or trenching using a two-wheeled tractor with a ridging plough than it is pushing a hand ridger. Believe me, I know! (The two-wheeled tractors can also take mowers, snow blowers, chippers, ploughs etc.)
