BCS and Berta Plow

[mn_voyageur]

Since this is a new garden, I suppose it really won't matter which way I go.

I would guess that moving counterclockwise around the perimeter and working toward the center would be the most productive for a larger garden. The only problem would be when I basically hit the center strip.

 

[clarksvilleal]

Since this is a new garden, I suppose it really won't matter which way I go.

I would guess that moving counterclockwise around the perimeter and working toward the center would be the most productive for a larger garden. The only problem would be when I basically hit the center strip.

In a larger plot for the first plowing I usually start in the middle and work my way out both sides. Then I plow up raised beds when I am doing the final preparation for planting most of my vegetable crops, with the exception of corn, and small fruits, such as strawberries and raspberries. That means working each row or bed from both sides toward the middle. Finally I level the beds off -- by hand using a 3' wide landscape rake for narrow beds (less than 3' wide), or using the 30" rototiller if they are wider beds.

Al

 

[farmerboybill]

Hey,

I agree with Al, start in the middle and work your way out the first year. This leaves one deadfurrow on each side of the garden instead two side-by-side in the center. This is how big fields are plowed with regular moldboard plows. The next time you plow, the deadfurrow will still be on each side of the garden and you can drop your wheel in and plow out. The double deadfurrow will not be so bad since the dirt you had thrown in the previous year will still be there.

Even better, buy a double rotary plow and have a single deadfurrow on one side of the garden every year.

 

[mn_voyageur]

I appreciate the information.

My 853 arrived two weeks ago. I jumped into plowing the new garden and before I was finished playing, I had 100 x 50 plowed and planted.

Bill - I would love to buy the double plow, but I don't know if that needs to be at the top of the list. I have a 300' ditch along the state road that I would like to cut (both sides). It is too steep to cut with a tractor/riding mover. I am thinking about the 38" finishing mower. How well does yours work? Would you/do you use it around the house? (Also, how do you like you chipper?)

Getting back to the plow, any suggestions about how to handle the clumps of grass? The plow did a good job of breaking everything up, but I raked out the clumps of grass. I was afraid that they would take over, if I left them. I am curious because my wife is asking for more garden space this fall. So, I will have to extend the garden over the summer.

I have forgotten what she was going to plant, I was too busy eating the strawberry jam that she was putting up. (Strawberry season is here!)

 

[farmerboybill]

Hey,

To be honest, I haven't mowed with it on the 850 yet this year. The lawn is JUST getting to the point of mowing here. Last year, it was aggravating on my old 715, but most of the problem I had was due to the too-slow speed, the lack of turning brakes, and the lack of instant reverse on the 715. These problems should be remedied with the 850.

Otherwise, my two biggest gripes were the solid mounting of the mower to the tractor and the fact that the mower stops every time you disengage the clutch to reverse, change gears, etc due to lack of live PTO. The sickle and rough-cut mowers have 15 degrees of tilt for going over uneven ground, but the finish mower does not. Due to that fact, it made me nervous about the stress at the mounting point between the tractor and the mower.

Funny you asked me about the mower tonight, I just had a long conversation with Joel about it on the phone today. He said I shouldn't be concerned about the lack of tilt. He mows an acre and a half all summer on an 850 and has never broken it over uneven ground. He did say that the price on them is gonna shoot way up to nearly 2 grand when his current supply is exhausted as BCS just took a significant jump due to a redesign of the gearbox.

Bill in WI