all you need a is garden fork or spade and lots time.

how to dig/ dig for victory leaflet #20

Any number of cover crops can be broadcast seeded but most anything requires at least some sort of surface soil disturbance to sprout and root. Otherwise it is just a waste of money and seed.

Can you investigate the cost of having someone with a tractor and harrow come in and at least surface break the area? Then you can seed it in rye or red clover or hairy vetch.

Dave

I was looking for a video I first saw on here, I believe it was from Europe, of old time farmers planting about 5000 tomato seedlings in a small actively composting cold frame, then pulling them all apart and planting them out. Couldn't find it, this one came up instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJTVF_dya7E

This idea might cause issues in the future, but you might consider spreading a wildflower seed mix over the lot. You don’t really need to cover those seeds as some of them require light for germination. Of course, you might lose a lot of them to birds after you spread them on the open ground, but it’s an idea.

In my area tillers can be rented from Home Depot. Have you asked around?

You could try clover.

Clover is my choice, too.

While turning soil over is a big job, what you really need here is just penetrating and maybe fracturing the soil. So with a fork, just push it in and lean on it. Make lots of holes and cracks. No lifting. Then seed, and irrigate, washing the seed into the holes and cracks. Yes, that's still a lot of work, and will take some time, but a small fraction of the work required to actually lift and turn soil.

If I was in your situation I might try to find some free/cheap leaves or maybe arborist chips and cover the area, let them break down and make some worms happy.

Thanks for the suggestions so far folks.

The Dig for Victory is funny- I've done a lot of hand turning of my current garden beds... but they are much smaller than this space.

And my helper sister moved out kind of unexpectedly a few months ago, so it's just me busting earth right now. She was also the one that owned the truck. Places around here don't deliver tillers out this far, you are supposed to haul it yourself. And renting a truck to rent a tiller is cost prohibitive right now.. I'm saving to buy a tiller in the fall hopefully when they go on sale, and anything I spend on renting now comes out of the savings. None of my neighbors have tillers- I'm the only "small" gardener. The folks that have equipment is huge equipment meant for many acres, not for a "little" 110 foot box, heh.

I thought the horses were going to be around through most of the summer keeping everything grazed down, so I didn't think I would have to think about this predicament quite so soon. But the horse owners found and closed on their property earlier than expected and were able to move the horses out last month. I thought I would just be working on securing the fences, the old stable, and starting with the smaller 35x75 foot section this year. I have my materials and plans stocked up for that to do this year.

I think for some extra fast lay down I'm going to use some sheet plastic to make a border around the three sides of the fence that need it- at least keep the stuff outside the stableyard from getting in too much. It's around the fence edges that I noticed the most greening up. And I've used sheet plastic before to smother an area for a season or few.

The inside of the borders is really pretty much dead. Stomped, pooped on, and chewed to bare dirt. The surface is scratchable though. I won't have the ability to actually till it this year, but I can get out there with a rake and at least rake some seed in a bit.... I'll try the clover for that.

The wildflower seed isn't a bad idea... only not inside the fence. Since I have a lot of random flower seed on hand I think I might try that around the edge of the riding ring since that area needs some quick attention and is clear enough for it.