New Member. Seeking Advice

[Yuhong]

Hi,

I am in in a small town Prunedale (next to Salinas) in Central Coast CA. My farming experience is limited to watching other people working in the field. We purchased a 15 acre residential lot with about 6 acres of useable land for planting.

I bought a KUBOTA L3301TLB almost brand new (20 hours). I am in the process of getting a disc harrow and box scraper. I will need a bottom plow to complete my list for spring field preparation.

I will ask quite a bit questions.

Thank you all.

Digou

 

[Jchonline]

Congrats on the new tractor and :welcome:

 

[Yuhong]

Thank you, Sir. I am a weekend farmer and new in that area. Have not had a chance to even meet my neighbors yet. We had some decent rain and I will have to hurry to prepare the field. I was thinking of none chemical fertilizer farming (for sure no synthetic pesticides), so I will need a plow to turn the compost into the soil. I read quite a bit on the plows and still not clear on what would be a good fit for my tractor.
I am still figuring on how to work with this site to get the most of it, and hopefully contribute to the community someday.
Thank you.
Digou (This is my nickname)

 

[jeff9366]

I am in in a small town Prunedale (next to Salinas) in Central Coast CA. My farming experience is limited to watching other people working in the field. We purchased a 15 acre residential lot with about 6 acres of useable land for planting.

I bought a KUBOTA L3301TLB almost brand new (20 hours). I am in the process of getting a disc harrow and box scraper. I will need a bottom plow to complete my list for spring field preparation.

A Kubota L3301 is marginal at 2,700 pounds bare tractor weight for pulling a useful weight Disc Harrow. L3301 will pull a two-bottom, 12" moldboard plow fine. Horsepower is adequate for both Disc Harrow and plow. But without more tractor weight you are marginal for ground contact applications, particularly a Disc Harrow. Few would use a plow/disc succession for six (6) acres.

I recommend a forward rotation PTO-powered roto-tiller rather than the plow/disc succession. One piece of easily learned, effective equipment rather than two, with the Disc Harrow with 18" diameter pans, all the Disc Harrow a light tractor can pull, marginal. A plow takes most small field users several seasons experience to invert soil evenly. A Roto-tiller will mix compost into soil easily.

VIDEO: tractor rototiller - YouTube
.

I have such fond memories of Salinas in 1966. I was in Navy electronics school on Treasure Island. Would occasionally visit Salinas for fried baby Artichokes, which I clearly remember were 35 cents for a generous portion on waxed paper in a white cardboard carton. Navy Payday was twice monthly. $34.00 per check, twice per month.

 

[nybirdman]

Good advice on the roto-tiller;much better use/fit for small tractors.I would suggest breaking the sod with a "potato plow/middle buster($150 or so) and then the tiller.First year will be the most difficult,after that pretty easy.

 

[jeff9366]

Good advice on the roto-tiller;much better use/fit for small tractors.I would suggest breaking the sod with a "potato plow/middle buster($150 or so) and then the tiller.First year will be the most difficult,after that pretty easy.

VIDEO: tractor middle buster - YouTube


PLEASE ENTER YOUR PRUNEDALE, CALIFORNIA LOCATION INTO YOUR T-B-N PROFILE.

 

[TBN Support]

:welcome:

Welcome to the forum!

Congrats on your new land and Kubota

 

[Thomas]

:welcome: to TBN...enjoy.

 

[Wagtail]

G'day Mate and welcome to TBN from Downunder.

Enjoy the site.

 

[Yuhong]

Thank you, Sir. The soil has a heaver layer underneath. That is the reason I did not pick a rototiller at the first place. Once I get enough organic matter in the soil in a little deeper, I will switch to a rototiller and then add some compost every year.

I used to take some sample from artichoke field, then we ate them. But never tried to fry them. I will try that next time.

Thank you.

Yuhong