Garden time...Oh boy!

deere755 · Apr 12, 2006

I wish it would dry up here so we could do some planting. I tried tilling this evening and all I did was roll up mud balls so I quit. It looked dry on top but underneath its real wet. More rain is in the forecast for this weekend.

jinman · Apr 13, 2006

( I wish it would dry up here so we could do some planting. I tried tilling this evening and all I did was roll up mud balls so I quit. It looked dry on top but underneath its real wet. More rain is in the forecast for this weekend. )

I'd love to take some of that rain off your hands. We've only had about 4-1/2" since the first of the year. I'm having to water my garden to keep it going.

On the bright side, my wife and I noticed we already have radishes and turnips coming up from the seeds we planted last Saturday afternoon. Just a couple of hours more than four days...cool! I'll get pictures tonight.

RobJ · Apr 13, 2006

Jim I forgot to mention you have to post a pic in 6 weeks to see what you turned over. Looks like a yard area so maybe not to much junk.

I picked a spot in the corner of a pasture to start a garden 3 years ago. About 1/2 acre, just a few scattered goat weeds. Bottomed plowed it, disc, and it 6 weeks I had the best million crop of goat weeds in the county. They were beautiful! That's the year the rain stopped so I disc the garden 3 times to kill everything. A repeat last year but a few less weeds. A winter disc and 2 early disc I hope will help out this year. We'll see. I'll see what else is popping this weekend.

Rob

jinman · Apr 13, 2006

( Jim I forgot to mention you have to post a pic in 6 weeks to see what you turned over. Looks like a yard area so maybe not to much junk.
)

Rob, I've already sharpened my hoe and gassed up the weedeater and Mantis-style tiller. Weeds don't have the nerve to show their face in my garden. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

jinman · Apr 14, 2006

Radishes and turnips are already up. I've got a thinning job to do soon. I also have three watermelon hills with plants emerging. I'm anxious for my corn and peas to come up. Maybe this weekend... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

PineRidge · Apr 14, 2006

Looks to me Jim like someone in your family had a green thumb and that made you a natural. You're now making all of us in the cooler climates green with envy. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

gsganzer · Apr 14, 2006

The garden's looking good, Jim.

I fought the weeds last year and eventually lost. I'm trying something new this year. I rolled out heavy builders paper for each row. Then I punched a hole in the paper for each plant. The paper should act like mulch and will hopefully last a good way through the season, keeping the weeds at bay. At the end of the season I'll just till it in with the rest of the stuff.

I really need to just bite the bullet and buy a tiller. I'm trying to decide on whether I want a walk behind or PTO. I'm leaning toward a walk behind, but need to decide on a size. I think a Honda 700 runs about $1700 /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

scott_vt · Apr 14, 2006

Mornin Jim,
Real nice job, and well done /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Now, the $64,000 question? Do you and the wife plan on putting all these vegetables up, canned and or freeze? Or are you opening a road side stand? Just had to ask, and I hope I didnt miss it elsewhere in the thread /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

scotty

gsganzer · Apr 14, 2006

(
Now, the $64,000 question? Do you and the wife plan on putting all these vegetables up, canned and or freeze? Or are you opening a road side stand? Just had to ask, and I hope I didnt miss it elsewhere in the thread /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

scotty )

Hopefully he's planning to have a harvest shindig and invite us to eat them /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Okay, probably not what he planned. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

jinman · Apr 14, 2006

( Now, the $64,000 question? )

Scotty, if I had a $64,000 answer, I think I'd retire and do this full time. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Actually, if your drive northwest of Fort Worth, TX on Hwy 287, there are three huge vegetable stands just at the Wise County - Montague County line. I'm right in the middle of those, so the competition would be tough. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Of course, if you can do a better job, putting your business in the middle of the competition is a smart move. Unfortunately, those three vegetable stands all have about 50 acres each of perfect sandy soil for growing vegetables and there are several peach orchards there also to attract hordes of honeybees. I figure I need a little bigger garden and lots more help to compete with these folks...maybe next year. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

We should have no problem finding folks to take the vegetables off our hands. My wife and I have four children and 10 grandchildren. What's left over I'm sure we won't have to twist the neighbors' arms too much to take a few. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Of course, this all assumes that I'll have enough energy and time to fight the weeds. If I need help, I have a friend in Denton who I may call in as a backup. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

jinman · Apr 14, 2006

( I really need to just bite the bullet and buy a tiller. I'm trying to decide on whether I want a walk behind or PTO. I'm leaning toward a walk behind, but need to decide on a size. I think a Honda 700 runs about $1700 )

$1700 for a walk behind Honda? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Ouch! My 6' KK tiller for my tractor was only $1500 and I figure I could find some tilling jobs to pay back some of that if I wanted to. I don't want anything to do with a walk behind if I don't have to. I've used both front and rear tine types and I consider them strictly for flower bed use only where I can't get my tractor. I guess they are okay on level ground, but on a slope, you can only till well going uphill. When tilling down a slope, I found myself being dragged along almost uncontrollably more times than I care to admit. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Your craft paper idea sounds great for a small garden with plant sets. For row crops, I think I'll try mulch. With my chipper-shredder I can and have produced a lot of chips to spread next to the rows. The Kawasaki Mule will be a big help for hauling chips. At least, thats my plan. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

erich · Apr 14, 2006

Nice garden. I'll be plowing mine this weekend I hope. I try to follow my Dad's advice, "Never plant a garden too big for your wife to take care of." We had to miss out last year. My daughter's wedding got to be more work than we imagined and I sure missed our own frozen corn this past winter.

eric

scott_vt · Apr 14, 2006

Thanks for the reply Jim, and certainly not trying to be nosey, but that is a pretty significant garden /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As gsganzer stated, we all could come down for a TBN shindig /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Oh, and one more thing, those cultivators should really help weed control at least in the beginning and on the shorter crops /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

billbill1 · Apr 14, 2006

Jim, I have one of those lawn sweepers and my finish mower is a rear discharge. I put the grass clippings around the tomatoes and pepper plants and it's great, it holds moisture and keeps the weeds down. I've done this for many years and in the fall just till the clippings under, turns them into compost.

gsganzer · Apr 14, 2006

( As gsganzer stated, we all could come down for a TBN shindig /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

Fresh corn and fried okra, fresh salad tomato's, peppers, freshly caught fried catfish. A little barn dance afterward. I can see it now.....

Bird · Apr 14, 2006

When I had the B7100 and the 40" tiller for it, I planted my rows 48" apart so I could just till between the rows every once in awhile. I never did like using a hoe. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Then went I got the B2710, I planted the rows closer together, but used a 6 sweep cultivator until the plants got too big to straddle with the tractor. A friend gave me a couple of big round bales of oat straw that I used for mulch under and around plants.

Now I like Honda products, but $1,700 for a tiller? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Before I got the tiller for the tractor, I had bought this tiller from Sears. It did a good job and was easy to use, but I sold it after I got the one for the tractor.

gsganzer · Apr 14, 2006

I agree about the $1700 for a walk behind tiller. Honda is awfully proud of them. I wouldn't shell out that much for a tiller, especially for the limited use I'd need one. A craftsman or the new "cheap" troybilts would suffice. (whatever happened to the quality of the troybilts?)

SPIKER · Apr 14, 2006

I have an OLD toro that was my sisters bought new back in like 81 or so, techumpse engien hasn't ever ran well but it cuts 18" or so wide. so I make my rows now about 30" and till down one side and back up same row on the otherside with the exhaust facing away from the row I'm closest to... as it exits out to the side... rear tine which would rear up at the first hit of grass, weeds or hard ground, untill I did a few mods and made a REAL tine/harrow to hold it back...

markM

Cliff_Johns · Apr 15, 2006

Couldn't you lay out landscape fabric between the rows and weigh it down with rocks or stakes or heavy mulch? Seems like this would allow the rain through, but would stop the weeds completely -- at least between the row. I imagine it could be used for two or three summers before it rotted too much to use from the UV light.

Just wondering,
Cliff