Advice on tilling / turning last season's 400 gallon smart pots

[clearchoiceco]

Any previous experience or advice on tilling / turning old medium (coco) to break up old roots and loosen up / aerate the medium?

I bought a 1-man gas auger with an 8" bit for the purpose, but I'm afraid of overpenetrating and eating through the bottom of the pot which is lined with 1/2" hardware cloth for gophers.

I thought about maybe building a depth stop rod/stick kinda like a hammer drill, but can't easily think of a good design that will penetrate the compacted medium but stop at the screen mesh. Maybe a hollow metal pipe?

Input would be appreciated

 

[jtk707]

Take it all out and put it back In ..... Or take half out and turn the other half in the pot . Good luck

 

[clearchoiceco]

There's gotta be an easier way than that

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

Commercial farmers have adopted zero tillage in a big way. No stinking tillage needed.

 

[lightuptheherb]

Dump it out, Add stuff, Let it sit for a week or more. Should be OK.

 

[clearchoiceco]

I have more than just a couple of these.

But realistically, I shouldn't have asked.

 

[Shcrews]

make some friends and buy some shovels

 

[lightuptheherb]

tractor, big ass pile and a rototiller with a few friends?

 

[lightuptheherb]

substitute bobcat for tractor.

 

[clearchoiceco]

I grow on a terrace where a tractor wouldn't make it. I hired some day laborers and returned the auger. So far costing me about $35/pot in labor to turn and add 2x bags of perlite.

 

[clearchoiceco]

In previous seasons I was tempted to rent a walk-along mini excavator but figured it wouldn't even be able to make it to the pots without tipping over multiple times

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

I grow on a terrace where a tractor wouldn't make it. I hired some day laborers and returned the auger. So far costing me about $35/pot in labor to turn and add 2x bags of perlite.

Waste of time I'm telling you. Did you leave a control?

 

[sierraskunk]

Mantis rototiller works great for 400g smart pots.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

no need to till at all...we just leave our 400s out in the rain and storms over the winter spring with heavy cover crop. by april they are all booming with life, which is then cut back down once as a mulch. To amend simply topdress the stuff you like, lots of EWC and good organic inputs and boom. Never had to till dirt in the last 3 years since just doing it the way nature does it.