Planning for Spring.

[cmhyland]

Hi guys,

Years ago we used to have a garden the was 60X100 it was fenced and I used a garden tractor with a 30 in tiller to prepare the soil.
Well fast forward 12 years and we are going to put a garden back in this year... I just picked up a 60" tiller for my B2910 and I'm looking for input on
garden planning with regard to fences and gates and layout to accomodate tilling with a much larger machine...

My thought is a layout that is long and has gates on each end so I don't have to try to turn the machine in the fenced area.

Ideas and pics of your fenced gardens that you till with a tractor would be very helpful.

Thanks,
Chris

[Gunny]

Morning,
My garden is also a long rectangle. Back when I used electric fencing, it was easy to just drop the three lines at the ends on the ground and drive over them to make my turns.
When the coons got so bad I went to a welded wire fence and for awhile, I just left about 8 feet or so at the ends go untilled and turned in that area but I never really liked doing that way.
Since I rotate my garden ground every three years or so, the next time I drove heavy posts in at the corners and four "T" posts every 15 feet across the ends. When it's tilling time, I undo the fence at one corner on each end and pull it over to the side out of the way, leaving the "T" posts where they are. It's not that hard to steer around a "T" post if one is directly in your path. Then when finished, I pull the fencing back, secure it and drive in tent stakes to hold the bottom of the fence tight to the ground. This can be a lot of work, but it's the only way I can get my ground tilled like I want it and still be able to keep some of the coons out.

[cmhyland]

Thanks Gunny,
I had that same issue before of a patch of 8' to 10' at each end untilled in the fenced area... It's a PITA because you have to get the push mower in there to keep the grass and weeds from going to seed... I'm thinking of doing my potatos outside the fence this time.... I don't think the deer will eat the plants...
We'll do pumpkins outside the fence as well...

Thanks,
Chris

[Grumpy Old Man]

Hi guys,

Years ago we used to have a garden the was 60X100 it was fenced and I used a garden tractor with a 30 in tiller to prepare the soil.
Well fast forward 12 years and we are going to put a garden back in this year... I just picked up a 60" tiller for my B2910 and I'm looking for input on
garden planning with regard to fences and gates and layout to accomodate tilling with a much larger machine...

My thought is a layout that is long and has gates on each end so I don't have to try to turn the machine in the fenced area.

Ideas and pics of your fenced gardens that you till with a tractor would be very helpful.

Thanks,
Chris

Here in Tn I have a yearly garden and it supplies way more than my girl and I eat even with 2 freezers , one of the main things is to determine which way you plant the rows ,We have tried North /south --east /west -- and on the diagnals it does make a huge difference for us , being in Ct you may want to try east west to get max sun exposure here we learned planting north /south works so the plants get some shade from each other ,we also use the black weed control material after tilling and hoeing rows we lay it down and cut thru the material to plant ,makes for little or no weeding all season and helps keep moisture for the plants ,We did'nt use it last year and I fought the weeds all summer talk to your local ag office , we had sweet corn/green beans and carrots last night from last season

[cmhyland]

Here in Tn I have a yearly garden and it supplies way more than my girl and I eat even with 2 freezers , one of the main things is to determine which way you plant the rows ,We have tried North /south --east /west -- and on the diagnals it does make a huge difference for us , being in Ct you may want to try east west to get max sun exposure here we learned planting north /south works so the plants get some shade from each other ,we also use the black weed control material after tilling and hoeing rows we lay it down and cut thru the material to plant ,makes for little or no weeding all season and helps keep moisture for the plants ,We did'nt use it last year and I fought the weeds all summer talk to your local ag office , we had sweet corn/green beans and carrots last night from last season

Thanks Grumpy,
We learned the north/south east/west when we were doing the garden last time... your right that the east/west layout of rows works well.

Anyone use a Bedder?

How to Use a Garden Bedder - The Gardening Series - YouTube

Thanks,
Chris

[KTurner]

I'm thinking of doing my potatos outside the fence this time.... I don't think the deer will eat the plants...
We'll do pumpkins outside the fence as well...

Based on my experience a couple years ago, deer will destroy any hope of a pumpkin harvest.

Keith

[cmhyland]

Keith,
I have grown pumpkins outside the fence in years past... The key is to use chicken wire to cover the pumpkin plants when they are small.. Also grow a lot of them... LOL

Regards,
Chris

[KTurner]

The key is to use chicken wire to cover the pumpkin plants when they are small.. Also grow a lot of them... LOL

They didn't bother our plants, but they tore up the pumpkins themselves. Everything was going fine until one night when the deer decided they wanted pumpkin and feasted. I put tomato cages over the ones that survived, but most of them were lost.

Keith

[turnkey4099]

Thanks Gunny,
I had that same issue before of a patch of 8' to 10' at each end untilled in the fenced area... It's a PITA because you have to get the push mower in there to keep the grass and weeds from going to seed... I'm thinking of doing my potatos outside the fence this time.... I don't think the deer will eat the plants...
We'll do pumpkins outside the fence as well...

Thanks,


Chris

Think again. If you have a deer problem you will harvest zero potatoes . We tried that one year and the result was a neat series of holes where potatoes 'used to was' and deer tracks galore.

Harry K

[cmhyland]

Harry,
They pulled the potatos? the potato is from the nightshade family... The tops are poisonous. So I guess we need to fence the potatos area as well...

or I could just put electric fence around the potatos. On the main garden fence I'll be using 4' wire fince with 2" x 2" or 2" x 4" wire fence , with a top and bottom wire of electric fence. If I fence everything it's going to be about a half acre. That's a lot of fence and posts.

Regards,
Chris