Just broke ground on a fallow field of weed trash, now should I fertilize?

[258 Pots]

What about soaker hoses?

Thinking about that, that is a bit of work. Going to another irrigation house, I figure I need a bird with about a 32' to 35' diameter, the only issues is because I expect one bird to water a 32-35' foot diameter most set ups use crossover to fill in the blanks, I don't quite have the resources to just go buy what I need. If I go with soaker hoses I just need to plan out the entire 64' by 88' garden and that is a lot of hose, unless I am going to be moving it each time I water. I figure with weeding on this fallow ground that will keep me busy enough.

 

[thistlebloom]

Yeah, you definitely won't be wanting to move soakers around after you plant. very awkward! And cumbersome!
I tried that one year and ended up breaking a lot of plants.

 

[catjac1975]

I have a nice 70' by 100' area that had laid fallow since it was plowed and left in 2007. I raked up most of the dead trash and just ground in the live plants. I am now wondering if I should fertilize it and till in some good horse manure (it's all I can get that's free and that fits my budget )

I know the answer is yes but figured maybe you all could get me motivated for the heavy poop lifting...

Here is a pic before I completed tilling, did I mention I am 49 and this is my first garden. Not the first garden I cut, I made one previously for my lovely wife, this one is the first I ever made that I plan on planting in, why did it take me so long to get smart??? what a long strange trip it's been...

Will till in the horse and chicken manure every early spring. Here we need to add limestine also to the soil. I have 2 composers going for addition to the planting holes of heavy feeders like broccoli and eggplant.

 

[ducks4you]

Yeah, you definitely won't be wanting to move soakers around after you plant. very awkward! And cumbersome!
I tried that one year and ended up breaking a lot of plants.

I have used soakers before but I kept them in the bed all season. We live in a reclaimed swamp, aka "Illinois", but it also dries out. I kept soakers in with my peppers and I got a bumper crop with them (2013.)