Getting the garden ready for the roto tiller is not fun.

[Siwsan]

I use landscaping fabric that is held down with many pins. I leave it down all Winter so that the weeds have a very limited place to sprout, come Spring time.

Hopefully we can get the tilling done and the fabric in place so that I can start plotting out what and how much to buy.

It's 82 degrees and the pollen is making me sneeze almost non stop. Making sure I find all of those pins is really kind of hard on the old back. I'll go check again, later. Right now, though, I need a cold beer.

[WhiteTara]

1. Have you heard of Ruth Stout?

She has a book called How to have a green thumb without an aching back.

She uses mulch and piles it high on the weeds. It keeps the soil friable and weeds down and so there is no need to disturb the microzial creatures who live underground. I stopped roto tilling decades ago and find that using mulch is much more effective. Instead of ripping up the fabric, just add mulch (I use straw - but old leaves are good) to the top. JMHO. Good luck.

[Siwsan]

2. I'll definitely check that out

Thanks!

The soil here was very much dominated with clay but years of adding garden soil has softened it up. I use a bulb planter to dig the holes for the plants and always add some extra rich soil/humus.

[WhiteTara]

4. those are all good things too.

BUt I do love me some mulch.

[rurallib]

3. great use for old leaves

If you do get a weed they are much easier to pull