We have been looking at several small tillers to help with getting a better soil blend when adding compost and other soil additives. We like the mantis but think it's a little on the expensive side. The troybuilt 4cycle was also in consideration. but in the end we got lucky and my Father gave us an old ChoreMaster; free is better then a $300-400 expense any day.
So all the beds have been tilled, no compost was added unfortunately. But we decided the seed starts had gotten so large that we just needed to get the beds tilled and start planting. Our tomatoes are nearly 2 feet.
We planted our Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts with filter fabric as a row blanket, we'll see how this test substitution works. We also planted 3 tomatoes in wall-o-waters.
Still to do:
Fix drip irrigation sprinklers
I think a new sprinkler box and another sprinkler valve to isolate the garden is in order, in addition to the low pressure adaptor
Get a flat nose shovel
Look into a compost shredder/grinder - considering building one out of an electric mower and 1/2" diamond pattern metal screen
add amendments to garden beds and till the soil (amendments will be delayed until fall or next spring)
spray garden soil with copper soap to kill fungal pathogens (will wait until all plants are planted)
move garden bed 6 20 ft south of current location where there would be more sun (or add one bed and use bed 6 only for shade tolerant veggies like tomatoes and cold weather crops) decision was made to leave to bed at the current location as a test since the apricot tree was felled last summer so there will be more sun then last year.
plant tomatoes and other cold weather plants in wall-o-water's
install trellises on the beds
