Garden Implement Basics for the Beginner

[Nature Girl]

Thanks everyone, the images and your descriptions are a good support to the newbie....but I wonder if the amazing tractor world can help me with some lingo...

I thought PLOW meant anything you put on the back of the tractor (or by hand) that digs into the ground - Does plow mean using a MIDDLE BUSTER OR POTATO PLOW?

Is there a Dummies for Beginner Farmers Book of definitions? I think this website is better than heading to the local MFA to hang out for a day with a pitch fork and overalls. It's such a blessing to have the shared wisdom of a community who are living and moving and breathing with the earth!

I love the Everything Attachments | Skid Steer Attachments, Tractor Attachments, 3 Point Hitch Attachments, and Farm Tractor Implements. site and the videos really help but can anyone give me the skinny on the following and also the "other" names people call these things? I feel like I am attempting to convert Swahili to English as I read your posts with an eager mind to learn.

Here are the new words to me and yes I have looked them up too. Are these the basic tools of the incredible farmer with a tractor and 3 pt hitch? Please feel free to add to the list with reckless abandon. Also dare I ask for brand names that people love? I also find that in just the disc department there are 3 to 30 in size.

FURROW
TILLER
MIDDLE BUSTER/POTATO PLOW
ROW HIPPER
DISC HILLER
DISC HARROW
CULTIVATOR
SOIL RIPPER
FALLOW
CULTIPACKER
GANG DISK
BUSH/BRUSH HOG
FALLOW
RAISED ROW VS. REGULAR ROW - and what's the advantage should all be raised for better drainage?
New additions...
MOLDBOARD PLOW
coulters
landside wheel



I so appreciate your help and this could become the Tractorpedia Reference Guide!
Thanks, Nature Girl

 

[Nature Girl]

Allow me to clarify my level of experience. I am a water garden and landscape designer so I make everything look beautiful, green and colorful...then I leave... and it's up to my clients to maintain the wonder created. So my thumbs are green in the perennials, trees and shrubs department but food gardening is all new.

The last garden I planted was with my son 2 yrs old (now 17) in a tiny raised plot 4' x 8'. I begged my former husband to release this corner from our yard where he prized his grass. My son threw in some random seeds and huge heads of broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts emerged. His carrots looked like nuclear experiments taller than his wee stature, and the sage took over the back of the house. It was a grand success that leaned on experimental more than planned plotting.

Organic - why? I am partial to food that has less chemicals and greater nutritional value. The plot sizes that you have all shared are very helpful to me as I see that embarking on a 3 acre garden with me and my pet squirrel may be a bit much to take on the first year. The land I purchased is set up for an Eco-Village or to be an Intentional Community where there will be many (or more than just me) who assists in the working of the gardens and all the tasks associated with the fruition as well.

The amazing resources that are here on this site are fabulous. Thank you all!

 

[Chilly807]

Welcome to TBN, it's nice to get some variety from the crusty ol' fellers.

Now, your 3700 will definitely handle a 2-bottom moldboard plow like the blue MF the guys found on E-bay. It should look like this one, if it had the coulters and landside wheel.

That one was $200 Cdn used, it needed a little work and some paint. It's a MF #62, 12 inch bottoms.

To decode some of that, the coulters are the round wheels in front of each "blade" or "bottom", and are designed to cleanly cut the sod as the plow turns it over. The landside wheel (at the lower rear) rests against the edge of the just-cut furrow and helps keep everything straight.

A 12-inch bottom means that the plow cuts a 12 inch wide furrow for each bottom it has. This one will plow a 24 inch wide swath on every pass, 2 furrows width. Common sizes are 10", 12", 14", 16".

Here's the thread on fall plowing, towards the end there's a couple You-tube videos of my wife and I plowing the garden for the first time.

YouTube - Chilly plowing garden
YouTube - Ms. Chilly trying her hand at plowing with the 3400 and MF plow

I found a manual for the plow online after a bit of research, set-up was easier than I expected.

Sean

 

[bp fick]

Everything Attachments is a really good site. You'll find all your answers to the various implements there, that's for sure. The videos vary in audio quality, but overall, extremely helpful.

Tractor Supply Company also has a website where all these implements, well, most of them, are also pictured and that can help too!!

Yes, a plow is pulled behind the tractor and does indeed turn the dirt. There are many kinds of plows. Your research at TSC and EverythingAttachments will show you the various kinds of plows. Potato plow is simply a middle buster, but since it is used for digging a furrow (ditch) for planting potatoes and also can plow up, or dig the potatoes, it got that moniker. Also called a Danish plow though I do not know that history well.

 

[Nature Girl]

Thanks Ralph, the images really help the process as I am a visual learner. They really look like they get the job done well. Happy planting.

 

[Nature Girl]

Hmmmm BP.... moniker? Forgot to add that to the list.

 

[bp fick]

Hmmmm BP.... moniker? Forgot to add that to the list.

Moniker - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

[*]He earned the moniker “Gator” from his days wrestling alligators in Florida.
[*]I think “Happy” is an appropriate moniker for someone who smiles so much.
[/LIST]


Synonyms: alias, byname, cognomen, epithet, handle, nickname

 

[Travis_R]

Welcome to TBN, it's nice to get some variety from the crusty ol' fellers.

Now, your 3700 will definitely handle a 2-bottom moldboard plow like the blue MF the guys found on E-bay. It should look like this one, if it had the coulters and landside wheel.

That one was $200 Cdn used, it needed a little work and some paint. It's a MF #62, 12 inch bottoms.

To decode some of that, the coulters are the round wheels in front of each "blade" or "bottom", and are designed to cleanly cut the sod as the plow turns it over. The landside wheel (at the lower rear) rests against the edge of the just-cut furrow and helps keep everything straight.

A 12-inch bottom means that the plow cuts a 12 inch wide furrow for each bottom it has. This one will plow a 24 inch wide swath on every pass, 2 furrows width. Common sizes are 10", 12", 14", 16".

Here's the thread on fall plowing, towards the end there's a couple You-tube videos of my wife and I plowing the garden for the first time.

YouTube - Chilly plowing garden
YouTube - Ms. Chilly trying her hand at plowing with the 3400 and MF plow

I found a manual for the plow online after a bit of research, set-up was easier than I expected.

Sean

Oh I'd just LOVE to have that plow!!

 

[Travis_R]

Thanks everyone, the images and your descriptions are a good support to the newbie....but I wonder if the amazing tractor world can help me with some lingo...

I thought PLOW meant anything you put on the back of the tractor (or by hand) that digs into the ground - Does plow mean using a MIDDLE BUSTER OR POTATO PLOW?

Is there a Dummies for Beginner Farmers Book of definitions? I think this website is better than heading to the local MFA to hang out for a day with a pitch fork and overalls. It's such a blessing to have the shared wisdom of a community who are living and moving and breathing with the earth!

I love the Everything Attachments | Skid Steer Attachments, Tractor Attachments, 3 Point Hitch Attachments, and Farm Tractor Implements. site and the videos really help but can anyone give me the skinny on the following and also the "other" names people call these things? I feel like I am attempting to convert Swahili to English as I read your posts with an eager mind to learn.

Here are the new words to me and yes I have looked them up too. Are these the basic tools of the incredible farmer with a tractor and 3 pt hitch? Please feel free to add to the list with reckless abandon. Also dare I ask for brand names that people love? I also find that in just the disc department there are 3 to 30 in size.

FURROW
TILLER
MIDDLE BUSTER/POTATO PLOW
ROW HIPPER
DISC HILLER
DISC HARROW
CULTIVATOR
SOIL RIPPER
FALLOW
CULTIPACKER
GANG DISK
BUSH/BRUSH HOG
FALLOW
RAISED ROW VS. REGULAR ROW - and what's the advantage should all be raised for better drainage?
New additions...
MOLDBOARD PLOW
coulters
landside wheel



I so appreciate your help and this could become the Tractorpedia Reference Guide!
Thanks, Nature Girl

Ok, let me see if I can get you some pictures of tractor "attachments" AKA "implements".

1st. pic is a "middlebuster" AKA "potato plow"
2nd. pic is a "row hipper" AKA "row builder"
3rd. pic is a "disk harrow" AKA "gang disk"
4th. pic is a "cultivator"
5th. pic is a "Bush Hog" AKA "brush hog, brush cutter, rough cut mower, rotary cutter"

** Bush Hog is a name brand**

6th. pic is a "landscape rake" AKA "rock rake, root rake"
7th. pic is a "box blade" AKA "grader box"

I hope this helps and that the pics come out in order as I'm expecting...

 

[Baby Grand]

About Roundup/glyphosate - The Plant Manager & I don't use it. Old school turning weeds in and/or removing them to a compost pile works fine for us. Our personal choice and not saying it's the right or only way. It's a little more work on the front end, but from what this research indicates, you may be very happy with this approach months or years later:

http://s230184898.onlinehome.us/CurseBuster/joomla/images/PDFs/Huber%20at%20Fluid%20Fert.%202-10.pdf

-Jim

 

[Chilly807]

Oh I'd just LOVE to have that plow!!

They're out there.. this one was slowly rusting under a chestnut tree with a faded "For Sale" sign hanging on it. The "before" pics aren't as pretty as the "after" ones. MF #62, probably from the fifties or sixties. I think Ken at Sweet Tractors has a few like it. The Fords and Dearborns are similar. If you have rocky ground, a model with a trip might not be a bad idea. Be careful what you buy, parts can be like hen's teeth.

The only problem with a plow is that you also need a disc harrow or some sort of tiller to finish the seed beds. I'm hoping to come across a disc before spring, otherwise it's off to the rental store for a walk-behind tiller.

Sean

 

[Haoleguy]

Allow me to clarify my level of experience. I am a water garden and landscape designer so I make everything look beautiful, green and colorful...then I leave... and it's up to my clients to maintain the wonder created. So my thumbs are green in the perennials, trees and shrubs department but food gardening is all new.

The last garden I planted was with my son 2 yrs old (now 17) in a tiny raised plot 4' x 8'. I begged my former husband to release this corner from our yard where he prized his grass. My son threw in some random seeds and huge heads of broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts emerged. His carrots looked like nuclear experiments taller than his wee stature, and the sage took over the back of the house. It was a grand success that leaned on experimental more than planned plotting.

Organic - why? I am partial to food that has less chemicals and greater nutritional value. The plot sizes that you have all shared are very helpful to me as I see that embarking on a 3 acre garden with me and my pet squirrel may be a bit much to take on the first year. The land I purchased is set up for an Eco-Village or to be an Intentional Community where there will be many (or more than just me) who assists in the working of the gardens and all the tasks associated with the fruition as well.

The amazing resources that are here on this site are fabulous. Thank you all!

Congratulations on the land and having the desire to farm! It sounds like you have experience with organic principles in your landscaping business? Have you joined the MO Organic Association( Missouri Organic Association ) ? Looks like they would have members that could provide a good resource to bounce ideas off of and they usually do a bulk discount purchase on seeds. Also your local U of MO Extension Office would be able to provide good support.....have you taken, or thought of taking, their Master Gardener's certification program? They usually have a great topic on integrated pest management that includes principles and area specific solutions. I did so in Connecticut and found it to be a xlnt foundation for my specific case of establishing an organic vineyard. Others have provided equipment answers/ideas with their use on specific food plots. For the non-equipment side of things as others have stated 3 acres can produce quite a bit of food. Vertical farming, extending seasons, and succession planting can produce quite a bit of food in a small area. My spouse and I were overwhelmed with the produce out of a 30' x 45' organic garden and I would say that we are still beginners. You might consider preparing the entire area with the idea that a portion goes to the garden and the remainder goes to a cover crop(native wildflower/legume mix) that builds the soil structure and provides an attraction to beneficial insects to help control the insect pests in the garden. It sounds like you will need some type of perimeter fence to keep out hungry critters. There are many things to consider in establishing and running the organic farm and many will determine which implements are most appropriate for your specific long term use. Note that since soil structure is key for a healthy garden the last thing you want to do is obliterate that with overworking and using heavy equipment at times when compaction is likely(wet periods). Good luck and stay in touch with this group....Cheers, Gary

 

[Nature Girl]

Wow Gary,
Great ideas and resources. There is much to learn in the organic world and taking classes is a super idea. I tend to like to get the key information that I need when I need it and that is what makes me shy away from a class with a ton of things that don't seem to apply, but I guess it all ties in at some point.

I also did not know that it's possible to "overwork" the soil. The joy of being on the extreme learning curve is that in a year from now I will have stories and adventures to share of the thrills and challenges of the dream at hand.
With great appreciation,
Nature Girl

 

[Nature Girl]

Travis, I am blissfully grateful to you this helps me link the implement with the image so it locks in the lingo. Thanks!

 

[Nature Girl]

Thanks for the link Don, it turns out there is a Tractor Supply fairly close by so I can see them up close. I noticed they had a great post hole digger too. Their middle buster reviews were a little weak. Do you have any of their products?

 

[Texpolo1106]

I long for a big organic garden. There is about 3 acres open now for planting. I'm so excited that my Kubota L3700 with FEL (my first tractor) will be delivered in a couple of weeks. Every spare moment has been spent searching the internet for the right implements I need to cultivate the ground and get ready for a spring planting. Some of the words I have never heard before like harrow, so I am really new to this world.

Can you amazing experts please suggest the basic attachments and sizes I would need to get the job done? Missouri soil is a little rocky not rich. I am also searching for the right grapple since clearing will be hot on my list.

With appreciation,
Nature Girl

I was thinking about getting this set up.

Garden Package

Maybe someone on here has had some experience with this.

 

[DoubleDeere]

I bought that exact same package from Stevens Tractor last year. I only got to use the cultivators and they worked great. The only problem I had with them is that the height is adjustable and you need to make sure you lock the bolts for the adjustment good and tight or else they will work themselves loose. Hopefully I will get to use the disc hillers this year for the potatoes. Last year we already had them in before I bought the garden package. I pulled it behind my JD 790.

 

[Don87]

Thanks for the link Don, it turns out there is a Tractor Supply fairly close by so I can see them up close. I noticed they had a great post hole digger too. Their middle buster reviews were a little weak. Do you have any of their products?

My Brother-in-law has the middlebuster, he uses it on his JD790. I own the cultivator, and have used it on my GC2400.

We share the implements, and neither of us have had a problem with either one.

 

[derifarm]

Is there a Dummies for Beginner Farmers Book of definitions?

I highly recommend "Steel in the Field". You can either buy a hard-copy of the book or get a digital version (either as HTML or PDF) at:

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education - Publications - Steel in the Field: A Farmers Guide to Weed Management Tools

It may be a bit more than a beginner book. Once you get a few terms under your belt, it's a good book to see how others are doing things. There is a small glossary near the end.

Good luck on your new garden!