Tiller A Tiller is a comin'

[theboman]

A Tiller is a comin\'

I took the plunge into roto tillin' 101. I order one today and it actually should be here tomorrow! That's fast service for the SWEET staff at Sweet Tractors in Elizabethtown, Ky. It's a 48" First Choice, orange like my 'Bota and according the folks there it's the best one on the market with more times, more protection, slip clutch, powder coat paint (won't chip), etc. I have broken an anvil so it's a test!
Now, to get the ground ready for the ole garden. This year a veggie garden (we ain't had one since my dad passed away a couple years ago) and for 2003 a catfish farm (if I can't find a book on how to plant them).
Any gardening tips greatly appreciated! I've worked in them, ate from them, planted them but never paid attention to when you plant... greenbeans, maters & taters, etc.

 

[Bird]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

Bo, I buy a copy of The Old Farmer's Almanac every year and they have a planting schedule based on the weather in each region, as well as planting by the signs of the moon. I usually go by their schedule, except when the weather here doesn't cooperate like this year./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I just finished planting the last of my garden Friday, except the nursery I use for my plants was all out of broccoli plants. Most folks planted early like you're supposed to, then we had a late freeze, so they were re-planting and the nursery ran out of broccoli plants./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

First Choice??? I am trying to get a price from my local dealer for a First Choice tiller for my John Deere 445. All he could tell me at first was that it was much less than other tillers on the market. They have one sitting out in front of the store, it looks like it's about 60" or so. I'm thinking a 48" might be just about right for my 445. How was the pricing for yours? Less than other brands or about the same?

 

[theboman]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

$999 plus shipping, brand new for a 48", that's about $100 more than the Caroni, Kioti and another First Choice. It's also about $300-400 cheaper than the Bush Hog and Beefco sold locally. They actually shipped it out today for a very possible Tuesday morning delivery!

http://www.sweettractors.com/compact.html#implements

 

[Chuck52]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

Theboman,

Search on the horticulture page for the University of Kentucky. I'll bet they have all kinds of specific information for vegetable planting for your area. There's probably also free info for the catfish farm at a University site, but not horticulture...I imagine. Your taxes are paying for this stuff. Might as well use it.

Chuck

 

[theboman]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

The catfish line was a joke... Ah, I tried rasing chickens once too but it didn't rain a lot so they didn't grow. I only planted them 2 to a hill and figured catfish would be the same.

 

[webbmeister]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

Bo:That's a pretty good price! Be sure to fill us in on your opinion of the quality of the tiller. Sweets says "best one made." Let us know if you agree - or think it's close. Also - What was the shipping charge? Thanks, Jim

 

[Chuck52]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

I don't know about growing catfish, but I bet they'd make real good fertilizer! Seriously, or somewhat anyway, are you starting with a new patch of ground with sod in place right now? I just got my KK 60" tiller last month and I've used it to till my existing garden and start to carve out some new areas. The tilling in the garden worked great, and I did expand it by maybe five feet all around. That put in some ground up grass, but I tilled it in really well and it had pretty much rotted by this past weekend when I tilled it once again and put in some of the early crops. I wanted to plant a barrier along our road frontage, so I tilled up a 5x200 foot strip of sod and then laid down a layer of free mulch I got from the city. Then I planted hazelnuts set at 9 foot intervals. They're native to this area and should do well. I gave that strip five passes and the sod was pretty well tilled under. I also tilled up another area where I hope to establish a second garden spot. I suppose I could have killed the sod first with Roundup, but parts of it were well ground up by gravel truck and construction equipment anyway, so I figured if I just tilled it all under it would eventually compost in place. That's seems to be working well enough that I think I can use part of it this year. However, if you are starting a brand new garden area it might be a little late to expect existing grass to decompose without causing you problems. What's the group's wisdom say about this? BTW, the tiller does a very good job on ruts. I had some that were at least 8" deep, and was able to erase them with just a few passes with the tiller.

Chuck

 

[theboman]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

The tiller delivery got delayed until I get back home, since my real job needed my services 300 miles east. I get the tiller whenever I'm home or decide to pickup.

The deliver cost was approximately $65 freight, about 200 miles.

The garden will go in a grassed field.

 

[theboman]

Re: A Tiller is a comin\'

Opps, my laptop decided I was done....

The garden will be a grass field, that used to be pasture so I reckon that's the type of grasses growing there that will get tilled under. Two years ago it was a large garden, but all last year I mowed it with the rest of the yard.

I figured I'd till it up and add a few bags of all around fertilize like my dad used to do and see how it all comes out. Then this fall till all those leaves in the ground.

I also got a few spots on the hill I'm fixing for the deer/turkey to nibble some wildlife plots of whatever it is in those bags I picked up at Walmart.

Open for all suggestions!