Garden time...Oh boy!

jinman · Apr 14, 2006

( I really need to just bite the bullet and buy a tiller. I'm trying to decide on whether I want a walk behind or PTO. I'm leaning toward a walk behind, but need to decide on a size. I think a Honda 700 runs about $1700 )

$1700 for a walk behind Honda? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Ouch! My 6' KK tiller for my tractor was only $1500 and I figure I could find some tilling jobs to pay back some of that if I wanted to. I don't want anything to do with a walk behind if I don't have to. I've used both front and rear tine types and I consider them strictly for flower bed use only where I can't get my tractor. I guess they are okay on level ground, but on a slope, you can only till well going uphill. When tilling down a slope, I found myself being dragged along almost uncontrollably more times than I care to admit. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Your craft paper idea sounds great for a small garden with plant sets. For row crops, I think I'll try mulch. With my chipper-shredder I can and have produced a lot of chips to spread next to the rows. The Kawasaki Mule will be a big help for hauling chips. At least, thats my plan. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

erich · Apr 14, 2006

Nice garden. I'll be plowing mine this weekend I hope. I try to follow my Dad's advice, "Never plant a garden too big for your wife to take care of." We had to miss out last year. My daughter's wedding got to be more work than we imagined and I sure missed our own frozen corn this past winter.

eric

scott_vt · Apr 14, 2006

Thanks for the reply Jim, and certainly not trying to be nosey, but that is a pretty significant garden /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As gsganzer stated, we all could come down for a TBN shindig /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Oh, and one more thing, those cultivators should really help weed control at least in the beginning and on the shorter crops /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

billbill1 · Apr 14, 2006

Jim, I have one of those lawn sweepers and my finish mower is a rear discharge. I put the grass clippings around the tomatoes and pepper plants and it's great, it holds moisture and keeps the weeds down. I've done this for many years and in the fall just till the clippings under, turns them into compost.

gsganzer · Apr 14, 2006

( As gsganzer stated, we all could come down for a TBN shindig /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

Fresh corn and fried okra, fresh salad tomato's, peppers, freshly caught fried catfish. A little barn dance afterward. I can see it now.....

Bird · Apr 14, 2006

When I had the B7100 and the 40" tiller for it, I planted my rows 48" apart so I could just till between the rows every once in awhile. I never did like using a hoe. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Then went I got the B2710, I planted the rows closer together, but used a 6 sweep cultivator until the plants got too big to straddle with the tractor. A friend gave me a couple of big round bales of oat straw that I used for mulch under and around plants.

Now I like Honda products, but $1,700 for a tiller? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Before I got the tiller for the tractor, I had bought this tiller from Sears. It did a good job and was easy to use, but I sold it after I got the one for the tractor.

gsganzer · Apr 14, 2006

I agree about the $1700 for a walk behind tiller. Honda is awfully proud of them. I wouldn't shell out that much for a tiller, especially for the limited use I'd need one. A craftsman or the new "cheap" troybilts would suffice. (whatever happened to the quality of the troybilts?)

SPIKER · Apr 14, 2006

I have an OLD toro that was my sisters bought new back in like 81 or so, techumpse engien hasn't ever ran well but it cuts 18" or so wide. so I make my rows now about 30" and till down one side and back up same row on the otherside with the exhaust facing away from the row I'm closest to... as it exits out to the side... rear tine which would rear up at the first hit of grass, weeds or hard ground, untill I did a few mods and made a REAL tine/harrow to hold it back...

markM

Cliff_Johns · Apr 15, 2006

Couldn't you lay out landscape fabric between the rows and weigh it down with rocks or stakes or heavy mulch? Seems like this would allow the rain through, but would stop the weeds completely -- at least between the row. I imagine it could be used for two or three summers before it rotted too much to use from the UV light.

Just wondering,
Cliff