My 2014 Spring Garden

[Travis_R]

I have one of those. If the soil is well worked and with larger seeds (corn, peas, etc) it works well. I don't like it on small seeds (carrots, etc.)

U are 100% correct!

I tried planting mustard and turnip seeds with it last year and I didn't like it at all.
For G-90 Sweet Corn, I find using the sweet corn plate itself plants as close to perfect as you're gonna get. But I've never tried planting any other corn yet. I'll be using it with the Serendipity TripleSweet shortly though.
I've never planted anything else with mine other than sweet corn except the mustard and turnip seeds (which I don't plan on doing again).

I will be planting a row of Contender Bush Beans (Snap Beans) this year. Gonna try the seeder out with these also.

The EarthWay is known for over seeding but you can tape up holes in the seed plates. Every other hole, every 2 holes, etc.. Depending on what you're planting and your preference..

 

[lakngulf]

How many plates come with the Earthway, and which ones? Do you think it would plant okra, or get it too thick?

 

[Travis_R]

Just checked the garden out. Got an excellent stand of potato plants!! Sure hope they produce well!!
Planted them on March 18th and it almost looks like I'll be hilling 'em before I get to plant anything else! Yes, I'm excited. I was wondering if all the rain we got was gonna ruin the potatoes. But if anything I believe it actually helped them a lot! Pics shortly!

 

[motocephalic]

got a little excited today being 60 and I started a cold frame, onions and radish hope they come up soon.

I am in a learning curve this year, had to transplant all my tomatoes/peppers since they got very leggy. I won't make the same mistake again.

 

[Travis_R]

How many plates come with the Earthway, and which ones? Do you think it would plant okra, or get it too thick?

When I bought mine in the Spring of last year, it came with 6 standard seed plates:
#4 Sweet Corn
#5 Radish, Leek, Asparagus, Spinach
#10 Carrot, Lettuce, Turnips, Endive, Cabbage, Onions, Tomatoes, and Other Fine Seeds
#14 Beans, Small Peas
#18 Peas, Jumbo Peas, Early June Peas, Use Bean Plate For Small Peas
#22 Beets, Okra, Swiss Chard

After looking at my seed plates, the only one I haven't used is #5.
The white spots you see in the pics below is electrical tape. I taped up every other hole to try and keep from planting too thick. I think every other 2 holes need taping up in some of the plates. But I haven't experimented with the seeder enough to know for sure.
Like I stated earlier, one thing I know is seed plate #4 is perfect for G-90 sweet corn. Every now and then it'll drop a couple corn seeds at one time, but no big deal.
You can also have custom seed plates made from blank plates. Might wanna look on their website or give them a call. For the hobby gardener as myself, I can recommend the EarthWay for the money. Is it the best on the market? No. Will it work and get the job done? Yes.
You wouldn't believe the time it saves.

 

[motocephalic]

i just bought the Hoss seeder, I can't wait to try it out.


my dad bought an earthway 30 years ago, not sure who ended up with it but we used it for many years. It worked better then I thought it would. Figured I'd give this one a try.

 

[Travis_R]

i just bought the Hoss seeder, I can't wait to try it out. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=370183"/>

Congratulations! I'm sure you'll enjoy that thing. Supposed to be the seeder of all seeders.

 

[Travis_R]

my dad bought an earthway 30 years ago, not sure who ended up with it but we used it for many years. It worked better then I thought it would. Figured I'd give this one a try.

Wow I didn't know the EarthWay has been manufactured for that long. Thanks for the info!

 

[Travis_R]

Here's the pics of the potato plants I took earlier today. The single plant is the tallest on the whole row and there's still plants coming up through the dirt!!

 

[DJ54]

A buddy of mine bought one of the Jung seeders, and swears by it. I did see some radishes he'd planted with it, and they are perfectly spaced. However, they are pretty pricey for the average, even large gardener. Don't plant much small seed, and for the price, I wouldn't even consider one.

The Earthways do a decent job of planting Peas & Beans. Sure beats dropping them by hand. I like them planted rather close anyway, so as to shade out the weeds in between plants.

 

[motocephalic]

great shots , looks like to put 1 row between your tires, and that is what I plan on doing. I bought a bedder so I plan on putting them in beds. I never tried it that way but that is my plan. I am hoping that it helps with cultivating.

Here's the pics of the potato plants I took earlier today. The single plant is the tallest on the whole row and there's still plants coming up through the dirt!!

 

[TomSeller]

Here's the pics of the potato plants I took earlier today. The single plant is the tallest on the whole row and there's still plants coming up through the dirt!!

Looking very nice.

 

[Travis_R]

great shots , looks like to put 1 row between your tires, and that is what I plan on doing. I bought a bedder so I plan on putting them in beds. I never tried it that way but that is my plan. I am hoping that it helps with cultivating.

Thanks. Yes the rows, or beds, are made behind the tractor. I use a "row hipper" AKA "row discs", "row maker", etc... They all form a row.

The rear tires on my tractor are 56" center to center. So my rows will be about 56". It makes a wide bed.
If you don't already have a cultivator for your tractor, get one. You'll thank yourself.





When cultivating, the middle of the row is where the bottom cinder block is. There are "sweeps" attached to the "spring tines" on the cultivator. Just don't adjust the sweeps too close to the crop because they'll take it out! (trust me)

 

[motocephalic]

I have a bedder/ cultivator, but I need two more leafs for it. I have a very old homemade one my dad and I fabricated, I may use that after I doctor it up a bit. This is the one I own:

 

[Travis_R]

I have a bedder/ cultivator, but I need two more leafs for it. I have a very old homemade one my dad and I fabricated, I may use that after I doctor it up a bit. This is the one I own: <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=370218"/>

Very nice bedder!! Everything Attachments makes excellent products. I bought a 6' box blade from them about 1.5 - 2 years ago. Superior quality! Never had a problem with it.

If ETA don't have the stem and spring, I can just about guarantee you that Kraft Implement will. They specialize in this stuff. I talked to a few of them on the phone when I needed a replacement spring for my Dearborn field cultivator. Very nice folks! I would recommend them to anybody. The spring was only like $14 plus shipping. When I ordered it about a month ago I received it very quickly. Ask to speak with Al if you call. He's the owner and knows all about these parts. www.KraftImplement.com

 

[Gordon Gould]

Your spuds are looking really good. My wife's garden is pretty small and tight with stuff packed in every little space, so it is all hand work. I am getting a good education here on all the tools you guys use - very interesting. We lost tons of snow this week but garden is still covered. But the rhubarb patch is uncovered and the rhubarb has poked thru. A good sign that spring is here. Had five deer on the little patch of grass near it yesterday. Public enemy number one.

 

[Travis_R]

Your spuds are looking really good. My wife's garden is pretty small and tight with stuff packed in every little space, so it is all hand work. I am getting a good education here on all the tools you guys use - very interesting. We lost tons of snow this week but garden is still covered. But the rhubarb patch is uncovered and the rhubarb has poked thru. A good sign that spring is here. Had five deer on the little patch of grass near it yesterday. Public enemy number one.

Thanks. I can see how the snow would be aggravating when a person's ready to plant. I had a problem with deer 3 years ago but I think a neighbor took care of it. Haven't seen any since. I had problems with armadillos and possums last year.

 

[jeff9366]

I mainly like planting Funks G-90 sweet corn, yellow strait neck squash, dasher 2 or straight 8 cucumbers. I'll sometimes plant red beans or cranberry beans. I may end up planting a row of string beans this year though. I'm trying a patch of watermelon and cantaloupe this year again also. But haven't had any luck with those 2. Watermelon is my favorite fruit.

What, NO OKRA in Louisiana ?? How can you make Gumbo?

 

[Daver1963]

What, NO OKRA in Louisiana ?? How can you make Gumbo?

No okra in our garden here in Tennessee for frying. The summer after I graduated high school I picked okra to earn some money before going to college. I gritted it out, but decided that anything that got me soaking wet (from dew and sweat) by 6:30am and itching from head to toe while wearing long pants, long sleeve shirt, and rubber gloves was not an endeavor that I wished to repeat. If I want okra I buy it at the grocery store!

 

[gks]

Quarter acre about to get plowed. My first ever garden with my first ever tractor and the first implement ever hitched to it.