Paying someone to till the backyard? or how to do it myself?

[Satori]

ok, the back yard is rock hard compacted clay dirt. Getting out there with a shovel and manually turning it is not going to happen even though its a small space (about 22X25' if I remember right) My parents won't let me borrow there little tiller saying its to hard to control (yet when I was like 7 I was using the big 7HP one tilling our 1 acre garden) I dunno, maybe it is. I looked into renting one and thats going to cost around $100 to rent for the day plus I'd still need to rent a pick up truck to transport the thing. I plan on putting in turf and the garden, most from nursery plants all the the same weekend so it would be like day one, till the soil, day 2 lay down turf, day 3 garden if to tired to do it on day 2 after laying turf. So it would all be done very quickly before the soil rehardens which happens pretty fast if you don't plant asap here.

I was wondering how much it would cost to hire someone with a tiller to come and till the yard for me twice in 1 day, 1st to loosen the dirt, add any amendments I might need then retill if I need it. Guessing 2 hours work tops since its a small space. Any idea how much that might cost me?

If there some kind of tool I can use that won't break my back like a shovel will to break things up? This is the 1st time I've had a garden/put in a lawn in a very long time so I feel like I'm relearning from scratch here. Last time I put in a garden myself it was bigger then my backyard and I had a huge tiller to do the hard part for me

I don't live in a very high cost of living area, pretty moderate but I have no idea how much I should expect to pay to till such a small area.

[Minxie]

I'm pretty lazy so...I would used a raised bed or lasagna type of gardening rather than till the soil. Since you are planning to add stuff to it anyway, why not build on top of the soil instead of doing all that hard work? The Urban Homesteader and Food Not Lawns give good descriptions.

If you are determined to turn it, though, what about doing it directly after it rains or watering it so it theoretically would be easier? Also you could use something like a pitchfork to break up the soil.

[Katie T]

I would put what ever you want to add to the soil on top them have them come till once. I would offer I don't know 20-30 dollars.

I am on my second yr of gardening so take it for what it is worth.

[goldfinches]

Originally Posted by Katie T

I would put what ever you want to add to the soil on top them have them come till once.

Rock hard soil is a killer to till, you probably can't do it. And, waiting until it's wet will just gum up the tiller and clog it repeatedly. Wait until after the spring rains to hire someone to till for you. Put your ammendments down first so they can be tilled in right away.

[Satori]

Originally Posted by goldfinches

Rock hard soil is a killer to till, you probably can't do it. And, waiting until it's wet will just gum up the tiller and clog it repeatedly. Wait until after the spring rains to hire someone to till for you. Put your ammendments down first so they can be tilled in right away.

We don't have much in the way of spring rains but what we do have is going on right now. The soil is dry/compact the 1st 4-5 inches then you hit the wet stuff.

[Chicky2]

For an area that small you could put in some raised beds for cheaper than you could rent the tiller and the truck. What do you have laying around to use? Cinder blocks? Wood? Rocks? Definitely don't water and then till. IF you manage to get thru it at all, the soil would dry all clumpy and awful.