2020 gardens

[DJ54]

I'm pretty fortunate to have a decent slope in my garden that allows the bulk of excess rain water to run off, so I can get by with mulching. I'm assuming your dust method involves just tilling the top few inches of soil. That's pretty much what I do where mulch isn't used, but I do it with cultivators, on my DB 2-wheelers. I choose to fight the weed seed bank in the top 2" or so of soil. Anything below that may get slowed down, and not germinate as fast, or Mother Nature will take care of a certain percentage of them. In my mind, deep tilling only brings up more weed seed at lower depths.

Here in this loamy clay, I have used the rear tine tiller to go in between rows, when we've had constant rains, preventing cultivating, or when plants get too tall for the Bradley's to straddle. I've found after doing it several times, and after more rain, when I go to hoe what was missed, the dirt is extremely hard & crusty. while rows not 5' away I'd cultivated, were very easy to work, with friable dirt. If you have a sandier soil, I can see this working.

The only bad part of a walk behind, whether tiller, or tractor, is the fact the first place weeds will appear, will be in your foot prints. And here, during the earlier growing season when ground moisture is abundant, but not wet, I'll see weeds start to reappear within 3 days, where as like Sonny using the dust method, makes it hard for weed seeds to germinate, due to lack of moisture, or germinate, then die from lack of water. I have seen weed seedlings continue to grow, if I've cultivated when a bit wet, leaving little clumps. With rain coming in the near future, I choose to go ahead and cultivate, and hope to get a 70% - 80% weed kill, dealing with the rest next time I cultivate, hopefully getting a few dry days with hot sun to kill them. Yet, certain weeds will continue to grow in the little clump of dirt, apparently getting enough moisture, to keep going. I usually stop, take my toe, and break that little clump of dirt, exposing the weed roots to the air, killing it.

Here when I was a kid, Dad would cultivate in the morning, then it was my job to hoe everything he'd cultivated, usually when it was going to be sunny & hot in the afternoon. We'd always go back out the next day to see how well of a job we did. The weeds still alive and doing well are the ones that still had dirt intact on the root base, sliding around the cultivator sweeps, or, one's I'd missed hoeing. I was again my job that day to go hoe out the survivors.

Lordy, what I'd have given to have a stirrup/scuffle hoe like I have now, back then, like pictured below. I looked at a lot of them, before buying this one. Built extremely well. Not even sure they make them exactly like this anymore. It's a Corona brand, that this one was built in California. At this time, I think they were just stating to prosper, and to keep up with demand, had them made across the pond. 2 years ago, I was looking to buy one of their wider 5" models, but all of those were made in China, and looked a bit cheaper in construction. I was pretty disappointed to see that, so never ordered one. I do keep looking at the local community auctions, in case one would happen to end up there. Haven't seen any yet. This one will be I'm thinking 6 years old this summer, and shows little wear, and I've used it a lot..!! Realistically, if I take care of it, it should last me the rest of my life.

 

[ruffdog]

Lordy, what I'd have given to have a stirrup/scuffle hoe like I have now, back then, like pictured below. I looked at a lot of them, before buying this one. Built extremely well. Not even sure they make them exactly like this anymore. It's a Corona brand, that this one was built in California. At this time, I think they were just stating to prosper, and to keep up with demand, had them made across the pond. 2 years ago, I was looking to buy one of their wider 5" models, but all of those were made in China, and looked a bit cheaper in construction. I was pretty disappointed to see that, so never ordered one. I do keep looking at the local community auctions, in case one would happen to end up there. Haven't seen any yet. This one will be I'm thinking 6 years old this summer, and shows little wear, and I've used it a lot..!! Realistically, if I take care of it, it should last me the rest of my life.

The neighbor lady had a stirrup hoe and it really worked good so I bought 2 of them. I then made a handheld model so I can work around small seedlings without disturbing the plants. They sure made hoeing more enjoyable.

 

[RalphVa]

Never use a hoe any more. When I had the big garden down below, it was get on all 4s and go down between rows, weed pulling by hand to each side. Still basically how I do it with raised beds.

I've put about 2 inches of local Panorama Paydirt in 3 areas. Two years ago, I did the slope to the east of the swimming pool and got 23 butternut squash from 2 vines. Good stuff. Reputted to include some chicken manure in his Paydirt.

I actually removed about 3 inches of soil from my largely unproductive "asparagus" patch that never yielded any (in 3 tries) and put the Paydirt in there. Hopefully, the buried squash vine borer monsters will have gotten tossed out with the old soil. Got them foxed though with use of 1/2 a toilet paper roll put over the little squash. Stops the vine borer. I also skinnied up that wide asparagus patch last year. It was too wide to not have to walk on it.

Ralph

 

[Sonny580]

I have a shuffle hoe an don't care for them. When I hoe I want it to dig so I didn't use it anymore!
I till a couple inches on top to make the dust mulch.--- when running the tiller----walk in the next row, NOT behind the tiller, you can't leave footprints! The cultivator is a whole different thing/method, not fine enough for good control, but breaks the crust and will slow the weeds down. I use my db a little but mostly just to drag off hi places before planting. I love the harrow on the db, does super job to incorporate chems. in with.
I cultivate the sweet corn one time with it early when plants are small, then I push dirt with the tiller wings when corn is 2 or 3 feet tall.--The rr corn only gets sprayed 1 time at half dose and follow-up with spot spray one time IF needed. ----no cultivation needed.

 

[oldballs]

I inherited a scuffle hoe from my Dad. It is "V" shaped with notches that cut the root of the weeds. It works pretty good in loose soil. Yet I still use just a plain ole hoe and sometime crawl like Ralph....because hoeing starts hurting my back nowadays. Generally I like to hoe since it is a peaceful chore.....I can even hill my potatoes with a hoe.....Saint Patrick's Day is my time to plant seed potatoes.......


BUT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>it is so wet and more rain forecast for over a week.:thumbdown:

Cheers,
Mike

 

[DJ54]

I looked and studied a lot of stirrup hoes, before getting this one. Looked at more than several brands in stores,before I decided on this one. #1., most were cheaply made, and #2., was the blades on others were somewhat blunt. This has a tempered, sharpened blade, and self sharpens when you use it. Again, being I choose to fight the seed bank in the top inch or so of soil, I don't want to go too deep. It does work much better when the soil is on the dryer side. If a little damp, you just disturb the top enough, the weeds will keep growing. Dryer, it seems to flip the roots up better.

For working around onions, and carrots,because planted so close, I made this weeder several years ago. You can get up right next to those tiny plants,push down, then pull away, without damaging them. This is made from a piece one one of several stainless steel rods I found along the road,probably 40 years ago. Being the pack rat I am, I stuck them up above in the shop on the ceiling joists, thinking I may find a use for them some day. A piece of that rod with a few bends, an old broken shovel handle with relief's cut in it, and a worm clamp, and I was in business. Leaving the rod round, 99% of the time, it will grab those tiny weeds, yet leave the dirt pretty much in place. Being round also keeps me from cutting the little plant off. A life saver, when baby carrots are first coming up. Another reason I want to experiment with carrot transplants..!!

About 8 years ago, reading about weed suppressants, I came across an article that contained an article about the "organic Preen." I believe it was the University of Iowa was trying to find a use for the glut of corn gluten that was piling up, after processing corn for various uses. They experimented with it for a low N fertilizer, to help get a new stand of grass to grow, in newly tilled soil. They had 2 different plots, sowed the grass seed, then applied the corn gluten, working it in the top 1" or so' along with the grass seed. Neither plot of grass emerged, within 14 days or so. Thinking it was a fluke of some sort, they tilled in a different area, and repeated the process, with the same results. This time, they looked closer, putting soil samples under a microscope. They found the grass seed had germinated, but had no roots, causing the grass to die. With that information, they experimented with using it as a weed suppressant in row crops. They found, they quite accidentally came across a grass/weed suppressant. They filed, and got a patent for it. That's why a 5lb. jug of Organic Preen, and/or Ortho brand weed preventer will cost you $3+ a lb., paying royalties to the University, for the rights to produce that product. If you look at the label on a jug of Organic Preen, it says 100% Corn Gluten.

Me being the tightwad I am, I went to the local feed mill, and had them run 400 lb. of corn gluten pellets through their hammer mill, into a meal, and applied it around plants like below. Corn Gluten pellets cost me $8.00 per 100#, and they charged me $5.00 to grind it. I had my own feed bags, so that saved me a few bucks. I followed the instructions for Preen, stirring the meal into the top 1-1/2" of soil. It's best to do this right before a decent rain, as it takes moisture to activate it, around 1/2" should do it. I was pleasantly surprised it worked very well. It especially works well to suppress Foxtail. There were only 2 weeds that came up in that test plot, and both escape me at the moment. But those two come up from rhizomes, not seeds, and are far, and few between. I just go through with the hoe, and take them out, not disturbing the surface that much, if I can help it. It suppresses weeds for 6-8 weeks, and can be re-applied again. I will definitely be getting more this year..!!

This needs to be applied after your vegetable plants establish a root base. If put on when you plant, it will let the seeds germinate, but they will have no roots, and die. So, I cultivate, and hoe for a couple weeks, then apply the gluten, and stir it in, just before a decent predicted rain. It has worked well for me for the 6 out of 8 years I've used it. Below are the directions of use from Preen, if anyone cares to experiment with it, personally, I used a bit more. **Note** It will not kill existing weeds, it needs to have existing weeds removed, starting with a clean slate.

Remove existing weeds by either pulling them by hand or pouring boiling water over them.


2. Scatter Preen Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Preventer, from the shaker bottle, applying it evenly across the surface of the soil, using 5 pounds per 250 square feet of garden space. Wait until your vegetable plants are 2 to 3 inches tall to apply the product. It can be applied at any time when plants are established. The manufacturer claims it is safe to use up to twice this recommended rate. Wear gloves and protective eye wear when you apply this product.

If you're fortunate to have a feed mill in the area, that still grinds feed for cattle, they should have the corn gluten pellets. If you don't have feed bags, they'll probably charge 75 cents, to a dollar apiece for those. It's sure worth it to me, to take a couple hours to apply it, saving me many hours of cultivating, and hoeing, so as to do something else. I've literally poured it on some corn plants, getting it down in the leaves, and on green bean plants to see if it would burn, or harm them. I've never seen any damage doing so. Another plus is, it has a low N content, so it's like a low N side dressing giving plants a little kick. A win-win in my book, especially suppressing the Foxtail, which I seem to have a very heavy infestation of.

 

[DJ54]

Not surewhat happened to the pics of the weeder tool I downloaded, so I'll try again...

 

[Sonny580]

St Pat. day OR the 100 day here! Not gonna happen this year again. Sat. 14'th we had 6 inches of snow and most of it melted and making a slimy mess!
Love your spuds! Kenebecs ? --- We have best luck with Kens., Pontiacs, and Norlands here.-- tried a lot of varieties over the years a found these to be THE varieties to stay with.

 

[DJ54]

Which is the best keeper of those 3..?? I'm hoping to plants 100 lbs. this Spring, and as luck would have it, narrowed to those 3. I'll be planting for donation purposes, and selling. Trying to stay away from the high carb. foods for now, keeping the A1C in line. There haven't been any potatoes grown here to speak of for probably 40 years. Always planted 100 lbs. of Katahdin's and always seemed to get a 1,000 lb. return, of usable sized potatoes. They may have picked up a 10 qt. bucket of marbles, to put in green beans, or cut, and brown with skins on for a side dish.

There were a few years Dad planted 500 lbs., and would sell to Mom & Pop restaurants back in the late 50's, and early 60's. Here's a picture from, I'd have to guess 1959, with me standing in one of the potato patches. That Spring, Dad bought a used Farmall A, with a plow, and cultivators, and a drag type disk. If I remember right, he said he gave $400 for the whole outfit, and that was quite a chunk of change in those days. So growing potato's was a way to help pay for the tractor. The ole' A is long gone, traded for the IH 240 Utility, but still have the drag type disk I still use every year.

 

[oldballs]

In above picture you see the Kenebec variety. I change varieties now and then just for the hellavit. Irish Cobbler, Norland, Yukon Gold and I really like the Red Viking. Think I'll go buy some seed this morning. Hope my knees and back are good for another year.

Cheers,
Mike