They may irrigate a field before Shevi'it so that vegetables will grow during Shevi'it, and not only that, but even on Shevi'it [itself] they may irrigate it so that vegetables will grow after Shevi'it.

Onions that grew from before Shevi'it until Shevi'it -- they may irrigate their leaves with water in order for it to be ease to press them. The luf that brings up tamarat (a fruit-like excrescence on leaves and berries) on Shevi'it -- one need not remove it from them on Shevi'it for the sake of appearances (i.e., it will look like one is working the field). Onions that grew from before Shevi'it to Shevi'it or that grew from Shevi'it until after Shevi'it -- one may water their leaves with water so that they will be easy to pull out of the ground.

One who plants [vegetables] or sinks [vine-shoots] or grafts up until thirty days before Rosh Hashanah*, it is allowed to survive the year, and is permitted to remain [in the ground] during Shevi'it. Less then that (i.e., if one performs these less than thirty days), it is not allowed to survive the year, and it is forbidden to let it remain [in the ground] on Shevi'it. Newly planted fruit trees -- they are forbidden until Tu B'Shevat (the fifteenth of Shevat), and if they are orlah, they are considered orlah, and they are fourth-year trees (whose fruits are permitted), they are considered to be fourth-year trees [as of Tu B'Shevat].

Egyptian beans from which one withheld water thirty days before Rosh Hashanah, one tithes them for the prior year, and they are permitted to remain [in the ground] during Shevi'it, and if not, they are forbidden to remain in the ground for Shevi'it and they are tithed for the coming year. In what case does this apply? In an irrigated field, but in the field of one who withheld water from them, [it applies if water was withheld] for two cycles, the words of Rabbi Meir (Shev. 2:9). And the Sages say, three [cycles]. Rabbi Yosei ben Kiper said in the name of Rabbi Shimon Shezuri, in what case does this apply? When he planted vegetables and [subsequently] intended it for its seed, but if he planted it for its seed from the beginning, and only some of them took root before Rosh Hashanah, and some of them took root after Rosh Hashanah, one may not take tithes from them on behalf of [produce in] another location, nor in another location on behalf of them. Rather, he enters the threshing floor and tithes from it on their behalf, and it comes out that he has tithed from the new on behalf of the new, and from the old on behalf of the old. [And he conducts] poor tithe or second tithe according to the proportion (i.e., of old versus new produce), [and] he takes a tenth and designates it as poor tithe or second tithe. If he planted it from the beginning for the sake of both its seed and its vegetable, or if he planted it for its seed and changed his mind to the vegetable, its seed is tithed for the prior year, and its vegetable according to the time of harvest.

Said Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel, Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel did not disagree about [produce that] completed its growth, that [belongs to] the prior year [for purposes of tithes], nor about the fact that the blossoms are [tithed] in the coming year. About what did they disagree? About their pods, for Beit Shammai say that they belong to the prior year, and Beit Hillel say they belong to the coming year. And [thus] it turns out that it is said that there are three measurements in vegetables: Egyptian beans that are planted for the sake of their seeds -- even though they take root before Rosh Hashanah, and are harvested after Rosh Hashanah, they are one tithes it and the time of gathering is when it is subject to tithe, and one may tithe its seed on behalf of its vegetable, and its vegetable on behalf of its seed. If its pods had finished forming before Rosh Hashanah, its seed is tithed for the prior year, and its vegetable at the time of harvest. Anethum and coriander that one planted for the sake of their vegetable, even though they took root before Rosh Hashanah and they were harvested after Rosh Hashanah, one takes tithes from them and the time of their harvest is their time for tithes, and one may tithe their seed on behalf of their vegetable, and their vegetable on behalf of [other parts of] their vegetable. If it grew to a third [of its expected size] before Rosh Hashanah, their seed is tithed for the prior year, and their vegetable for the time of their harvest.

Anethum that one planted for the sake of its seed, he tithes the seed and is exempt as to its seed-pods and its greens. [If] he planted the seed pods, he tithes the seeds and the seed-pods and its greens are exempt. [If] he planted the greens [and they grew], he tithes the seed pods and the greens.

Any vegetable that one planted for the sake of its seed, and he nullified it in his mind, its vegetables are liable and its seeds are exempt. Grains* and legumes that he planted for the sake of their seed, and he nullified it in his mind, their seeds are liable [for tithes] and their produce is exempt. Beans and barley and fenugreek that were planted for the sake of their produce, and he nullified in his mind, their seeds are liable and their produce is exempt. Cress and arugula that one planted for the sake of its seed, both their seeds and their produce are tithed. (See Eruvin 28a:13.)

Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says, summer onions that ripened* before Rosh Hashanah, they are tithed for the previous year and permitted [for consumption] on Shevi'it, and if not, they are forbidden on Shevi'it and are tithed in the next year. [If they were irrigated] in the second year and came in on the third year, one may not crush them nor may one withhold [water] from them, in order that they be [fit for] the poor tithe. [If they were irrigated] in the third year and came in on the fourth year, one may crush them and withhold [water] from them because they are of second tithe, and it is permitted to crush them for the pilgrimage, and this is the custom of every person.

Every vegetable that was watered before Rosh Hashanah is permitted to remain [in the field] during Shevi'it. [But] if they were very small*, it is forbidden for them to remain during Shevi'it, for the sake of appearances (as others may think that they were planted during Shevi'it). They do not require him to uproot the luf; rather, he may leave them as they are. If it sprouts after Shevi'it, it is permitted. They do not require him to uproot an artichoke, but he may cut off the leaves. If it sprouts after Shevi'it, it is permitted.

The grains and the beans that grew a third [of their expected size] before Rosh Hashanah -- they are tithed for the previous year and they are permitted on Shevi'it, and if not, they are forbidden on Shevi'it and they are tithed for the next year (i.e., the eighth year). Rabbi Shimon Shezuri says, Egyptian beans that one planted for the sake of their spikes*, and so too "camel" beans (i.e., large beans) and everything similar to them -- they are tithed for the previous year and permitted on Shevi'it, and if not, they are forbidden on Shevi'it and they are tithed for the next year. Said Ben Azzai before Rabbi Akiva in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua, even that which has taken root [by Rosh Hashanah is tithed for the previous year], and Rabbi Akiva retracted and started teaching according to the words of Ben Azzai.

They may not gather grasses [growing] on top of manure , but they may gather straw from it. They may place straw or stubble on it so that it will increase in size, [and] they may pour water on it so that it will flower, and one may hoe it so that it will swell up (alt., "become moist").

They may not add to the [number of] wicker baskets [placed on dunghills*] nor to the dunghills themselves, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says, they may add to to the wicker baskets but they may not add to the dunghills. Rabbi Shimon says, [they may] even [add] to the dunghills as long as there are not fewer than three dunghills per Beit Seah (see Sheviit 3:2).

One who uses his field to pen cattle, he [first] makes an enclosure for [every] two Beit Seahs (see Sheviit 3:4). When it is filled [with manure], he may remove it from inside the enclosure and make dunghills inside his field in the manner of the fertilizers, and then he goes back and makes another enclosure. Said Rabbi Yehuda, in what case does this apply? At a time when he had only a few small livestock (i.e., sheep and goats). But if he had a lot of small livestock, even a Beit Kor (1/16 of a Beit Seah), even a field the size of two kors, it is permitted [to perform this procedure]. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says, he thrusts in the center stake, and he surrounds it with four enclosures, [one in each of] the four directions.

[If] his whole field was two seahs, he should not cover the whole thing with enclosures; rather, he should leave some of it [as is] for the sake of appearances, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yosei permits it. One may remove [manure] from this enclosure and places it inside another enclosure, as long he does not return it to the first one, the words of Rabbi Meir. And the Sages permit it. One may remove [manure] from this field and places it inside another field, as long as he does not return it to the first one, the words of Rabbi Meir. And the Sages permit it. One may remove [manure] from this enclosure and place it inside a different enclosure, as long as there is not [a distance equivalent to] eight seahs between him and his neighbor, the words for Rabbi Dostai bar Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Yosei ben Kiper says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer, a two-seah field, and [in this] two-seah field, this one may milk [the livestock] and that one may shear within it, and he brings in and takes out [his flock] through it.

They may make their enclosures with anything -- with stones, with reed mats, with straw, with reeds, or with stalks. Even three ropes, this one on top of that one and that one on top of the other one, [it is permitted] as long as there are at least three handbreadths between one rope and the next so that a young goat can enter [between them].

One may not pen animals [in a field in order for them to fertilize it] either on Sabbaths or on Festivals, nor on the intermediate days of Festivals, even as a favor. If [the animals] came of their own accord, they may not remove them. And it is not permitted to appoint a guard to "evacuate" the flock (i.e., to ensure that the animals relieve themselves). [But] if they were penned [in a field] for weeks, months, or years (alt., "for Sabbaths, for New Moons, or for Festivals"), it is permitted to appoint a [Gentile] guard and [for the Gentile] to "evacuate" the flock. Rebbi says, one may pen [another's animals in his own field] on Shabbat as a favor, on a Festival in exchange for a meal, and on the intermediate days of a festival one may even receive wages for it.