Early Preparations

 So this year I have rototilled early.... WAY early.  Last year I believe I rototilled the first week of June, so I would be a month early.  I've already started my Zima tomatoes in February and next week I'll start putting them outside to harden them off.

Today I finished pulling out any final weeds that I could find in the garden and decided to rototill before it rains tomorrow.  I cleaned up the strawberries and blueberries as well as any quack grass that was growing along the fence.   [I don't know if I mentioned in my posts from past years that my neighbour covered parts of her lawn (quack grass) with carpet - quack grass can travel up to 15 feet easily when covered so I'm always picking out quack grass along the side of the fence - righthand side of the photos below).]

I spread the CIL Sheep/Cow Manure and Peat Moss (3.8 cubic feet).    I do this annually because it just enriches the soil naturally and the plants (and unfortunately the weeds) do much better.   It keeps the top soil...well, as nice black top soil.   😀

After spreading the smelly manure, I then topped it off with the peat moss and then got the rototiller going.   First going north and south on my garden, then east to west.    After years of being after quack grass and dandelions, this year I don't seem to have nearly as many; it could be because I've rototilled early and not everything has had the chance to come up.  When rototilling normally I see roots from quack grass and dandelions but only a few this year - not like other years where I had weeded a good garbage bag full and then more on top of that after rototilling.

I will rake it but perhaps tomorrow.   I have to pace myself.   Raking is a tough one for me as it is a motion where there is a twist and pull and this displaces a couple of lower ribs from my back.  So maybe in a couple days after the rain has dried up I will gently rake to see if there are any roots that I missed.

I feel so happy that the rototilling is done the earliest that I've ever done it in all the years that I've gardened.   YAY!!!!

Top Photo =Soil Amendments (Manure & Peat Moss on top)
2nd Photo = Rototilling North/South
3rd Photo = Rototilling East/West