mn_voyageur
Member
So, my tractor is on order and should arrive ... soon. Since I have only used a tiller in the past, I am looking for suggestions on using the tractor.
Some of my questions will be answered shortly after receiving the tractor, but having the information now will help me plan ahead.
Can someone tell me the wheel spacing on an 853?
Up until now, my gardens have been small. So, weed control was pretty easy with a good hoe and a rake. However, I expect that this garden will grow rapidly, since it is in the open. How effective is tilling between the rows for weed control? In my smaller garden, we use wheat straw to help hold moisture and keep the weeds down. It's also easy to spot the green weed against the straw back ground. (That was a weed, right?)
So, in addition to incorporating compost, should I plan on tilling between the rows periodically to control the weeds?
My next questions is about the adjustable tiller. If the 30" wide tiller is adjustable down to 26", when would you reduce the width? I would guess that dropping it down to 26” is just a matter of removing the outside tines.
I have read several comments about using the rotary plow to hill potatoes. Are you planting the potatoes and then using the rotary plow to cover them? Are you using the rotary plow to re-hill after the plants have sprouted?
If I am using the rotary plow to hill potatoes, I would think that I could make the rows for the squash plants in a similar fashion.
The remaining vegetables, beans, peas, and corn, should be relatively straight forward, but I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.
Thanks,
Mark
Some of my questions will be answered shortly after receiving the tractor, but having the information now will help me plan ahead.
Can someone tell me the wheel spacing on an 853?
Up until now, my gardens have been small. So, weed control was pretty easy with a good hoe and a rake. However, I expect that this garden will grow rapidly, since it is in the open. How effective is tilling between the rows for weed control? In my smaller garden, we use wheat straw to help hold moisture and keep the weeds down. It's also easy to spot the green weed against the straw back ground. (That was a weed, right?)
So, in addition to incorporating compost, should I plan on tilling between the rows periodically to control the weeds?
My next questions is about the adjustable tiller. If the 30" wide tiller is adjustable down to 26", when would you reduce the width? I would guess that dropping it down to 26” is just a matter of removing the outside tines.
I have read several comments about using the rotary plow to hill potatoes. Are you planting the potatoes and then using the rotary plow to cover them? Are you using the rotary plow to re-hill after the plants have sprouted?
If I am using the rotary plow to hill potatoes, I would think that I could make the rows for the squash plants in a similar fashion.
The remaining vegetables, beans, peas, and corn, should be relatively straight forward, but I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.
Thanks,
Mark