Front tines? Sounds like you've got a "shake n bake" tiller. I've got one similar. It has some good advantages and some real disadvantages, especially the front tine part that shakes you to pieces. First of all, don't try to till dry, hard ground, and second, don't try to till wet ground. Dry ground will get you nowhere, wet ground will make huge clods worse than not tilling at all. If the ground is dry, sprinkle it a bit, then let it dry a couple days so that the ground is moist but not wet and the water you added has soaked down into the ground--you don't want a wet surface with dry underneath, just a dryish crust, then moist going down. This will be the best consistency to get the tiller into the ground. Then, you may have to make several passes. When the soil is tough, a real strong person can hold the tiller back and kind of let it slowly bounce forwards across the garden. Then go over a second time, but don't follow your tracks exactly as the tines will not have cut the soil down evenly and there will be underground ridges to loosen. If you haven't gotten very deep after 3 or 4 passes, you probably won't get any deeper with 50. If the ground is really hard and you can get down 3 or 4 inches, stop with that. Work your composted manure into this and plant your garden. Even if the soil is loose later, you really don't need to till over 4 to 6 inches, and add organic matter--it isn't truly necessary, but it sure is helpful in keeping the ground loose and tillable in the future. Cover the walk rows with grass clippings in the summer, add well rotted manure when you work the ground each year. This will help keep the soil soft in the future so tilling won't be such a chore. As to the rocks, just pick and toss the large ones that the tiller bounces off of. Smaller, gravel sized ones can stay put. Good luck! One last thought--depending where you are in Nevada, make sure the ground isn't still frozen--that is like trying to till cement. If you find ice crystals in the ground, wait another few days to a week.

it seems.. that your only problem.. is that you want it all done yesterday ... how about his ... TAKE A WEEK OFF ... drag your lawnchair around ... with an adult beverage of your choice ... and decide where you need to go in the future ... what bed to make this fall.. so you wont have to do it in spring ... what plants need to be moved in fall ... gardening does NOT have to be all about hard work .. take some time to enjoy and plan ... and when your butt starts getting motivated again.. go at it a bit slower ... work smart.. not hard ... trying to do.. too much.. all at once.. can very easily become overwhelming ... take timeouts.. to enjoy that which has been accomplished.. sooner or later ... you will get itchy to get back out there .. and if you did nothing more this season ... so be it.. you have already done a great amount ... relish your accomplishments.. rather than fester in your expectations of failure .... the ONLY person you have allegedly let down is you .. i am positive everyone else is mystified with what you have accomplished ... declare the garden job done.. and find some other excuse to avoid housecleaning ... lol .. how about residing the house while you are at it ... maybe a new roof ... maybe a garden on the roof??? .. so many options to avoid housework ... good luck ken ps: time to join a garden club.. and go visit other local gardens .... for more inspiration ...

Oh yes, I absolutely love my Gagg steam oven! After enjoying it for almost two years, I know I'd replace it in a heartbeat if I had to, despite the outrageous price. I've learned to steam many of the things I used to boil---potatoes or shrimps, for example. It's much faster than waiting for a pot of water to boil, and if you're in a severe drought situation, as we were last summer, it saves water. For steaming small quantities, I use an inexpensive Chinese bamboo steamer, placing it on the wire rack; a 10"-diameter one works fine, and you can stack two if necessary. Usually, they come in three-piece sets (two round baskets plus a cover), but since you don't need the cover in the steam oven, try to find a place that sells them singly (sorry, I can't remember where I got mine). But stick with the steam oven, and don't be afraid to experiment a bit after you feel more comfortable with the knobs and buttons. I think you'll come to love it as much as most owners do. ---Margaret

TRexInTheCity, you haven't cited the brand and model number of your dishwasher. Some units nowadays have condensation drying, which operates without a drying heater. They have a water heater instead of an air heater. Drying relies on the dishware retaining heat from the heated final rinse water. Selecting a hi-temp rinse option thereby increases drying performance. The tub cools faster than the dishware, which entices residual water to evaporate off the dishes and condense onto the surface of the tub. Some of it runs down to the bottom but some moisture and droplets will remain on the tub. Leaving the door ajar for a few hours helps the residual moisture evaporate. The door doesn't need to be open to the ground, just left ajar/unlatched, or hang a dishtowel over it for a slightly larger gap. Models that have an air heater for drying run the heater at lower wattage than in the past and may cycle it on/off during the drying period instead of heating continuously. Rinse aid is a required part of the drying process on all dishwashers nowadays, they're engineered for it.