Clearing new garden area

[Bob in Maine]

I'm the new owner of a Kubota BX25, and I'm interested in expanding my current garden to an adjacent field (about 1/4 acre). That adjacent field currently has wild lowbush blueberries growing on it, and the ground is quite uneven with a bunch of soil mounds and low spots that make for some bumpy tractor driving.

My question is, what's the best way to clear the blueberries and other "stuff" that's growing on that field, AND what's the best way to level the hills and valleys that are in that field?

For implements I have a 50" Land Pride tiller and a Woods Landscape Rake. Wondering whether I should use a bush hog to cut down all the scrubby blueberry bushes, or maybe there's a better option? I don't want to just till the blueberry plants into the soil because I'll be fighting blueberry "weeds" for years. Should I figure out a way to burn the field? Thanks for any ideas!

Bob

 

[magicheater]

I would try to tear out the vegetation by the roots, then proceed to level the area you want to have as a garden. You could also introduce compost as you are leveling the bumpy areas. Do you have any pics so we might have a better idea what you are facing?

 

[Bob in Maine]

I'll try to post some photos of the area tomorrow. Practically speaking I won't be able to hand-pull the blueberry plants up by the roots (they're stubborn little plants!), so I think it's a matter of figuring out the best piece of equipment/attachment. I'd been thinking of bush hogging the area, but with the unevenness of the terrain I'm not sure how well I'd be able to clear it. Even if the terrain *were* even, the best I could do with the hog would be to scalp the plants and then till -- not sure whether that'd just cause a mess with plant roots and debris mixed into the soil. Maybe do that and then use the rake to remove the plant debris? Hmm....

 

[beeforty]

Gee whiz and my wife just bought some blueberries that she wants me to plant and build protective cover for:confused2:

 

[hizoot]

If it was me...I'd spray round-up on it first,otherwise you'll be fighting weeds for years. Let it set a few weeks,then respray. Then till and level with your rake,then re-till to get the proper seed bed depth. I wish someone had told me this when we first started our garden in a previous grass field....so much of the tilled grass roots were seemingly re-deposited back to the proper depth ... the grass just started growing again. Dang...we fought grass/weeds the first year.

 

[MikeA57]

I would imagine that blueberry bushes are about as tenacious as blackberry and the only method that worked for me when they got out of hand at one end of my house (from bird droppings off the roof right above) was to tear them out by hand. When I would cut them, it would spread the seeds out in the adjacent area and pretty soon I had sprouts of them coming up in my lawn. Then there were the runners on them too. They'd reach out and then reattach to the ground 10 or 15 feet out, then burrow right under the surface and pop back up 20 or 30 feet away from there. I had a bunch of runners that seemed to go on forever. I spent 2 weekends tearing them out from the raised beds and then out in the yard, but I noticed that they've now moved into some forsythia bushes and are now popping up under the fence in my back yard so I'll be back out there tearing them out again this spring.

How many Blueberry bushes are there in your area? Really, the best method is to dig down where you can get a chain or a root grabber on them and yank them. If you bush hog them, you'll spread 'em everywhere I'm afraid.

How about something like this to help get them out?
Brush Grubber Tree & Brush Removal Tools | Gempler's

Mike

 

[Bob in Maine]

Thanks, Mike, I was actually looking at those brush grubbers in the Northern Tool catalogue. Do they work pretty well?

I suppose I could hand-pull the blueberries, though it'd be a hassle (it's about a 4,000 sq ft area). I was wondering whether a tootbar might be a reasonable option -- it'd get at the roots in a way the bush hog wouldn't, and I could just add them to the compost pile. Do you think this would work?

 

[Combustix]

Try using your rake it's what I do with blackberry bushes just back in and drop and go forward change the angle on the root if it gets stubborn. You will have to clear the rake occasionally

 

[Tailwind]

I'm the new owner of a Kubota BX25, and I'm interested in expanding my current garden to an adjacent field (about 1/4 acre). That adjacent field currently has wild lowbush blueberries growing on it, and the ground is quite uneven with a bunch of soil mounds and low spots that make for some bumpy tractor driving.

My question is, what's the best way to clear the blueberries and other "stuff" that's growing on that field, AND what's the best way to level the hills and valleys that are in that field?

For implements I have a 50" Land Pride tiller and a Woods Landscape Rake. Wondering whether I should use a bush hog to cut down all the scrubby blueberry bushes, or maybe there's a better option? I don't want to just till the blueberry plants into the soil because I'll be fighting blueberry "weeds" for years. Should I figure out a way to burn the field? Thanks for any ideas!

Bob

I would get a Rachet Rake from Tractor supply. It will clear the blueberries and then you can use it for leveling the ground.

 

[rbcsaver]

I planted low bush BB here in PA, this last season 2011. In the context of make lemonade from lemons, what is your wife thinking. Grow BB's and sell them !!!!!! Geeze!

I'm the new owner of a Kubota BX25, and I'm interested in expanding my current garden to an adjacent field (about 1/4 acre). That adjacent field currently has wild lowbush blueberries growing on it, and the ground is quite uneven with a bunch of soil mounds and low spots that make for some bumpy tractor driving.

My question is, what's the best way to clear the blueberries and other "stuff" that's growing on that field, AND what's the best way to level the hills and valleys that are in that field?

For implements I have a 50" Land Pride tiller and a Woods Landscape Rake. Wondering whether I should use a bush hog to cut down all the scrubby blueberry bushes, or maybe there's a better option? I don't want to just till the blueberry plants into the soil because I'll be fighting blueberry "weeds" for years. Should I figure out a way to burn the field? Thanks for any ideas!

Bob

 

[wcampbell47]

In the 5 years I have owned my tractor I have put in several gardens. Here is my procedure for a garden where there is grass and weeds.

Set tiller to 1 or 2 inches depth and run over intended garden area.
Attach ratchet rake and push the loosened grass and bushes to the side. You will lose some dirt, but that is acceptable to me to get the grass out.
Now that you have a fairly clean area for the garden set the tiller to your desired depth and have at it. I leave a perimeter the width of my tiller around the garden so that I can occasionally run the tiller to kill any grass that is trying to invade the garden.

Some folks leave the garden flat to plant, some want to plant in raised beds. A disc type hiller/bedder works well for me to make raised bed rows. My setup is a tool bar with two 16" single discs on a shank set in this fashion \ /. Makes a beautiful raised bed.

My biggest problem now is driving the tractor in a straight line for those nice raised bed rows.

Cheers!

 

[hizoot]

Thanks for the tips...

Heres one to help keep a straighter rows.....wait to near the end before opening the wobbly pops :licking:

 

[Dogscape]

Wobbley Pops. LOL!

This is a serious reply: You should use goats.
Put up some step stake temporary electric fence around your soon to be garden plot, and put in 3 or 4 goats for a few weeks.
For a really nice whoopin' on the bugs, put chickens in there too!

You may be able to rent some goats, if there aren't any on your property.

 

[royboy42]

In the 5 years I have owned my tractor I have put in several gardens. Here is my procedure for a garden where there is grass and weeds.

Set tiller to 1 or 2 inches depth and run over intended garden area.
Attach ratchet rake and push the loosened grass and bushes to the side. You will lose some dirt, but that is acceptable to me to get the grass out.
Now that you have a fairly clean area for the garden set the tiller to your desired depth and have at it. I leave a perimeter the width of my tiller around the garden so that I can occasionally run the tiller to kill any grass that is trying to invade the garden.

Some folks leave the garden flat to plant, some want to plant in raised beds. A disc type hiller/bedder works well for me to make raised bed rows. My setup is a tool bar with two 16" single discs on a shank set in this fashion \ /. Makes a beautiful raised bed.

My biggest problem now is driving the tractor in a straight line for those nice raised bed rows.

Cheers!

On average.

How far apart are the discs?

 

[wcampbell47]

On average.

How far apart are the discs?

I have them fastened to the tool bar at 28 inches apart - but you can let your tractor size help determine exactly how far apart to put them. The leading edge of the discs cut right at the inside edge of the rear tire track. That works for me and could be a starting point for you.

 

[royboy42]

Sounds good. Thanks!

 

[Combustix]

Wobbley Pops. LOL!

This is a serious reply: You should use goats.
Put up some step stake temporary electric fence around your soon to be garden plot, and put in 3 or 4 goats for a few weeks.
For a really nice whoopin' on the bugs, put chickens in there too!

You may be able to rent some goats, if there aren't any on your property.

Goats everyone should have goats. Mine will wipe out a section of blackberries and you can just come in and pull up the roots. pretty easy.
if you look at the pic the stump in the for ground and the trees in the back ground were covered with blackberries and other fauna that the goats enjoy. Saves me some diesel for other tasks:laughing:

 

[crbr]

good info... thanks