Plow, Disc, and Plant

[hunterridgefarm]

In between building and moving I was able to get one of my fields hogged and plowed. Stirred up a little dust Saturday with the second discing, pictures attached.

I did my final dics last night draging a large post behind my dics to level. So planting should begin this weekend. This field had not been turned for about 3 years so I had a lot of sod to deal with but hopefully by next year it will be in better shape.

I have seed for around 1500-2000 pumpkin, 100 squash, 100 cucumber, 200 cantaloupe, plus tomatoe, corn, beans, okra and other regular garden stuff. But with the wifeees honey-do-BOOK and the need to finish landscaping around the new house I may only plant 1/4 to 1/2 of everything and fill in with sunflowers and a green manure.

I post more pics as we get it planted and things start growing.

 

[sunspot]

That's a nice looking field. I guess Sundays rain missed your place.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Sweet field.

That is a serious amount of produce!!! Going to can it all?

Not sure of what 'hogging' is?

You make me feel better about not having the garden totally in yet, and finish discing and planting a pasture this weekend.

As soon as i said i was going to get the windmill, the wind finally died down!

 

[hunterridgefarm]

That's a nice looking field. I guess Sundays rain missed your place.

Received a small amount of rain but this field drains really good.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Sweet field.

That is a serious amount of produce!!! Going to can it all?

Not sure of what 'hogging' is?

You make me feel better about not having the garden totally in yet, and finish discing and planting a pasture this weekend.

As soon as i said i was going to get the windmill, the wind finally died down!

"hogging" is just what we call brush or bush hogging around here .

Actually I am late getting everything in except for the pumpkins. We are hoping to do a pick-your-own farm. This produce is kind of a trial to see how well it will grow is this soil. I have someone who will take it to the Farmers Market for me this year and sale it for me. I will pay them a percentage of the sales.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have seed for around 1500-2000 pumpkin, 100 squash, 100 cucumber, 200 cantaloupe, plus tomatoe, corn, beans, okra and other regular garden stuff.

It looks like you know allot more of what you are doing then I do. Last weekend, we were at Lowes and the kids showed an interest in seeds. We bought a variety of seeds, including pumpkins and water melons.

I put my disk on my tractor and plowed up an area for the garden. We added a few bags of planting mix to the soil and planted the seeds. I've got another week or so until I expect to see anything sprout.

How lond will it take your pumpkins to grow? Do you keep them on the vine until Halloween? Do you leave some on longer for pumpkin pie around Thanksgiving? Do you pull them off sooner and let them ripen off the vine.

I'm worried that we've waited too long to plant, but since we've gone ahead and done it, any advice that you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Eddie

 

[hunterridgefarm]

It looks like you know allot more of what you are doing then I do. Last weekend, we were at Lowes and the kids showed an interest in seeds. We bought a variety of seeds, including pumpkins and water melons.

I put my disk on my tractor and plowed up an area for the garden. We added a few bags of planting mix to the soil and planted the seeds. I've got another week or so until I expect to see anything sprout.

How lond will it take your pumpkins to grow? Do you keep them on the vine until Halloween? Do you leave some on longer for pumpkin pie around Thanksgiving? Do you pull them off sooner and let them ripen off the vine.

I'm worried that we've waited too long to plant, but since we've gone ahead and done it, any advice that you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Eddie

Eddie,
For Halloween, which is what I grow these for; and I have several different kind. Large..25-40 lb, medium 15lb, small 5lb, and extra small 2 lb . I also have what is called a "khaki" pumpkin which is a stripped pumpkin that has hull-less seed for roasting.

I can plant these as late as mid June and most take 110-120 days to mature.

So you should be fine as far as planting. You could possibly wait another few weeks to plant your pumpkins and be okay...but I don't know much about the Texas growing season. If you start having your pumpkins mature early you may want to shade them from the hot sun.

I usually leave them on the vine until the first of October then pick them and let them "cure for a few days. Also if I plan to store them a few weeks before selling I will use a 20 % bleach solution in water to wash them. But hopefully all of these will be picked out of the field . I will pull around 100-200 for the campground since we have a Hollween party and pumpkin carving contest on Halloween. I usually sale them at a discount at the campground.

If your mature early and you want to save them for Halloween, pick them and let them cure a few days semi-shade, wash them in a bleach solution adn dry them off, then store them in a cool place like a basement.

I buy most my seed from Johnny's Seed, and Harris Seed, a google search should bring them up.

Johnny's has several pumpkins with hull-less seed for roasting. Just pull the seeds out, wash them, put some kind of oil on them and roast them in the oven...little salt and ...hummmm

 

[4720 OWNER]

Pie pumpkins are usually a little smaller and sweeter than the average ghoul pumpkin, and do not put them close to squash, they WILL cross pollinate.

Heck, we are just getting our gardens in here and we still get some produce.

Have heard that people visiting the pick ur own can be really hard on the produce and the land. Wastage and wreckage come to mind besides trash and whatever or just outright stealing, but if it works for you then go for it. Personnally stick with quality goods that i consume ourselves and maybe trade with the neighbors.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Have heard that people visiting the pick ur own can be really hard on the produce and the land. Wastage and wreckage come to mind besides trash and whatever or just outright stealing, but if it works for you then go for it. Personnally stick with quality goods that i consume ourselves and maybe trade with the neighbors.

We will not advertize in the begining and will sale to friends...cheap for now , until I decide which way to go. Not too worried about stealing since the river boarders the field and its 600' off the nearest part of the road. Also I will be donating much of this to the local soup kitchen. I would just like to sale enough this year to recoup my cost and maybe pay for seed and fertilizer next year.

 

[Luremaker]

It looks like you know allot more of what you are doing then I do. Last weekend, we were at Lowes and the kids showed an interest in seeds. We bought a variety of seeds, including pumpkins and water melons.

I put my disk on my tractor and plowed up an area for the garden. We added a few bags of planting mix to the soil and planted the seeds. I've got another week or so until I expect to see anything sprout.

How lond will it take your pumpkins to grow? Do you keep them on the vine until Halloween? Do you leave some on longer for pumpkin pie around Thanksgiving? Do you pull them off sooner and let them ripen off the vine.

I'm worried that we've waited too long to plant, but since we've gone ahead and done it, any advice that you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Eddie

Eddie, I plant my pumpkins the first or second week of June after all risk of frost is over and harvest just after the first frost which for us is sometimes as early as Labour Day Weekend but usually mid September. This weekend I'll till my garden, add fertilizer and get the pumpkin squash section ready for planting. Our low for tonight is 32 degrees F so we are still a few weeks away from frost free nights.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Eddie, I plant my pumpkins the first or second week of June after all risk of frost is over and harvest just after the first frost which for us is sometimes as early as Labour Day Weekend but usually mid September. This weekend I'll till my garden, add fertilizer and get the pumpkin squash section ready for planting. Our low for tonight is 32 degrees F so we are still a few weeks away from frost free nights.

Steve,

I have been reading some of your threads on planting pumpkins. What kind do you plant? My largest quantity will be Howden, around 1000.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for the reasurance. I'm well past any chance of frost by several months, but I was worried that they might take longer to grow then we had time for Halloween. Guess that wasn't something to worry about.

Now I'll just wait and see how the heat does, and if the soil is any good.

Hopefully next year, we'll have a plan and I'll do some work on prepping the soil to improve soil conditions.

THanks
Eddie

 

[wushaw]

Eddie we are in the same reigion for planting times and last year when I first planted my garden I planted the first of May and some things didn't grow for me like radishes for example.

This year I planted the first of April and now I have more radishes than I know what to do with and everything else is growing great especially with the weekly rains we are getting.

I will be picking Jalapeno peppers here shortly also.

Growing a garden is a learning experience every year, keep a notebook so you will know what you did wrong or right from year to year.

 

[Luremaker]

Steve,

I have been reading some of your threads on planting pumpkins. What kind do you plant? My largest quantity will be Howden, around 1000.

I plant a few varieties but generally plant a lot of Connecticut Field because they are really popular for both baking and cutting into Jack-O-Lanterns. I do plant a few Howden, Jack-O-Lanterns, Atlantics (large squash), and miniature pumpkins such as Jack be Little, Lumina (white) and small sugar. The larger varieties produce 1 to 2 fruit per plant while the small varieties produce 10 to 12 fruit per plant. I also like to plant a few ornamental gourds.

I plant all of the different varieties in the same garden and do not worry about cross polination as nothing happens to the pumpkin's appearance during the growing season. I just don't plant any of my own seeds.

 

[N80]

Man, I would love to have a big flat field like that! Very nice.

You might want to look into a co-op type operation. See how you do this year and if you find that things work out, next year sign up members. They pay a membership fee which is basically an investment in your crop. Then, you divy up the crop among the members. At first you have just a few members and fees are low. As you get the hang of it, fees go up and you increase membership to the point where fees cover your expenses and give you some amount of profit. If weather/mother nature ruins the crop, the co-op members are sharing the risk with you. To do this you have to plant a variety of plants that can survive various weather conditions so that there is always at least something to harvest.

Good article about this in the latest issue of hobby farmer.

If it is not your full time job, set fees just high enough to cover expenses and allow you and your family to enjoy the produce as well.

 

[charlz]

Eddie we are in the same reigion for planting times and last year when I first planted my garden I planted the first of May and some things didn't grow for me like radishes for example.

This year I planted the first of April and now I have more radishes than I know what to do with and everything else is growing great especially with the weekly rains we are getting.

Radishes don't do well once you start having warm nights. They grow like crazy when your days are in the 70's and nights in the 50's. Much warmer and they bolt right away. Lettuce is very similar.

 

[RobJ]

Nice field, love to see some closeups of that disc in action!

Pumpkins, I'm not sure what I got myself into. For kicks I bought some giant pumpkin seeds. Possible mistake.

Couple pics. I've lost a couple to the squarrels already.

First pic taken 4/4/2008, pumpkin is the lower left with the round leaves. I think I planted these about 3 weeks earlier.

Second pic taken 4/20, a little growth.


I thought I had a more current pic but can't find it. Needless to say they are taking over my back yard. Still growing. MTW my corn is almost 7' high and the silk is turning now. Tomatos are huge and still green, no red ones yet, they were planted 6-8 week ago. I have a couple cucumbers and potatos are ready to eat. Already eaten some bell peppers and a couple purple hulls are starting to turn color.

The pics are of a little test garden in Spring, I don't know what the previous owners did to build these flowerbeds, but it is some great soil. Another small raised bed I built(using bagged dirt/mix) is not doing as well.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Man, I would love to have a big flat field like that! Very nice.

You might want to look into a co-op type operation. See how you do this year and if you find that things work out, next year sign up members. They pay a membership fee which is basically an investment in your crop. Then, you divy up the crop among the members. At first you have just a few members and fees are low. As you get the hang of it, fees go up and you increase membership to the point where fees cover your expenses and give you some amount of profit. If weather/mother nature ruins the crop, the co-op members are sharing the risk with you. To do this you have to plant a variety of plants that can survive various weather conditions so that there is always at least something to harvest.

Good article about this in the latest issue of hobby farmer.

If it is not your full time job, set fees just high enough to cover expenses and allow you and your family to enjoy the produce as well.

I just let my subscription to Hobby Farms expire. I'll go read the article for free at TSC .

And, no its not my full time job. I am the sales manager for an aerospace machining company. However I do want to retire early so the pick-your-own will be just part of my retirement. We will also have a greenhouse(small one possibly next year to start), and a pottery studio hopefully started in the next two years.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Nice field, love to see some closeups of that disc in action!

Pumpkins, I'm not sure what I got myself into. For kicks I bought some giant pumpkin seeds. Possible mistake.

Couple pics. I've lost a couple to the squarrels already.

First pic taken 4/4/2008, pumpkin is the lower left with the round leaves. I think I planted these about 3 weeks earlier.

Second pic taken 4/20, a little growth.


I thought I had a more current pic but can't find it. Needless to say they are taking over my back yard. Still growing. MTW my corn is almost 7' high and the silk is turning now. Tomatos are huge and still green, no red ones yet, they were planted 6-8 week ago. I have a couple cucumbers and potatos are ready to eat. Already eaten some bell peppers and a couple purple hulls are starting to turn color.

The pics are of a little test garden in Spring, I don't know what the previous owners did to build these flowerbeds, but it is some great soil. Another small raised bed I built(using bagged dirt/mix) is not doing as well.

Finished with the disc and not a moment too soon. They are old with the angle iron frame. I had to put a couple of heavy post on top of them for the second discing to cut the sod up better. A couple of the braces came loose so I had to replace about half of the bolts before I could do the final disc.

The pumpkins will take over especially the vine type. The semi-bush type are better for small gardens.

Be sure to take some pics of that giant pumpkin .

 

[charlz]

Also I will be donating much of this to the local soup kitchen. I would just like to sale enough this year to recoup my cost and maybe pay for seed and fertilizer next year.

Get a receipt and you can take a tax deduction. I use the Plant A Row figure which was $1.50/lb last year. It is enough to pay for seed etc. depending on how much you give and how much you spend. I am not a tax expert but I will say that type of donation is a little gray for individuals... if you are a business it appears to be pretty straight forward.