My 2014 Spring Garden

[Travis_R]

Travis--Not positive on this but I think hot soapy water and a scrub brush will take the diesel out. You'll have to try it. Liquid dishwashing detergent such as Joy works the best. I sort of think this will work.

The lid doesn't come off. And that's my luck.

 

[plowindeeper]

Drain the old fuel out put a 1/2 bottle of joy and fill half full with water throw a log chain in it and roll it around drain and wash it out.

I'm also replanting my corn it came up good but we had a frost hit it.

 

[sixdogs]

Drain the old fuel out put a 1/2 bottle of joy and fill half full with water throw a log chain in it and roll it around drain and wash it out.

.....

This will probably work and you can get cheap dishwashing detergent at Sam's Club. Use hot hot water. Or, just find another blue barrel and start over. Around here all those blue barrels are empty soy sauce containers and come from either WI or MI. There are untold thousands here and they go for just a few dollars up to maybe $8 each. Just figure it out and get one.

If you plan on drilling a hole on the side near the bottom for a plastic petcock, start looking for a slender guy with 36" arm inseam to reach inside to put the petcock through the drilled hole. That could be the hardest part.

You don't need the water right now anyway but come July-August you better be ready. We watered hundreds of tree seedlings this way. We drlled a 3/16" hole in the bottom of a five gallon bucket and used the blue barrels in the loader to fill the bucket once a week. I can't recall losing even one tree.

Here's my loader setup with three buckets. Works for me. The flimsy strap shown was just for use with empty buckets so get a stronger one too. If anyone reading this does the loader and water thing, know they can slip out and kill someone or something. Like a dog or kid that doesn't know to steer clear. You can also tip over on turns so keep the bucket low to the ground when moving.






Oh, and Travis...get a loader. Just buy one, write the check and post some pics. You're going to need a loder eventually and we needed the pics to look at yesterday.

 

[Travis_R]

This will probably work and you can get cheap dishwashing detergent at Sam's Club. Use hot hot water. Or, just find another blue barrel and start over. Around here all those blue barrels are empty soy sauce containers and come from either WI or MI. There are untold thousands here and they go for just a few dollars up to maybe $8 each. Just figure it out and get one. If you plan on drilling a hole on the side near the bottom for a plastic petcock, start looking for a slender guy with 36" arm inseam to reach inside to put the petcock through the drilled hole. That could be the hardest part. You don't need the water right now anyway but come July-August you better be ready. We watered hundreds of tree seedlings this way. We drlled a 3/16" hole in the bottom of a five gallon bucket and used the blue barrels in the loader to fill the bucket once a week. I can't recall losing even one tree. Here's my loader setup with three buckets. Works for me. The flimsy strap shown was just for use with empty buckets so get a stronger one too. If anyone reading this does the loader and water thing, know they can slip out and kill someone or something. Like a dog or kid that doesn't know to steer clear. You can also tip over on turns so keep the bucket low to the ground when moving. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/owning-operating/371878-my-2014-spring-garden-003-jpg"/> Oh, and Travis...get a loader. Just buy one, write the check and post some pics. You're going to need a loder eventually and we needed the pics to look at yesterday.

If you make the check out to a dealer for a loader and mail it to me I'll gladly hand it over. LOL.
I do need a loader but my tractor is 2WD and I'm not putting a loader on a 2WD tractor. I wanna eventually get a bigger a Massey 4WD but that won't be anytime soon. Plus I'd hate to part with my 231.

I will need to know exactly what kind of fittings I need for the plastic 55 gallon drum. I'm finding a few on craigslist.

 

[Travis_R]

If the Good Lord's willin and the creeks don't rise (AGAIN!) I'll be planting this evening.

Wish me luck!! We all know I need it haha!

 

[sixdogs]

If you make the check out to a dealer for a loader and mail it to me I'll gladly hand it over. LOL.
I do need a loader but my tractor is 2WD and I'm not putting a loader on a 2WD tractor. I wanna eventually get a bigger a Massey 4WD but that won't be anytime soon. Plus I'd hate to part with my 231.

I will need to know exactly what kind of fittings I need for the plastic 55 gallon drum. I'm finding a few on craigslist.

OK, so lemme get this straight. I pay for the loader and find the exact parts for your project? Maybe, if it's not too much trouble I could swing down there and then install it for you.... only kidding, relax. The hobby ag thing is OJT so you have to redneck this with trial and error. Every TBN'er should have this as a water setup since it's so easy and so useful.

You need a way to get the water out of the barrel so you need a plastic "ball valve" and the bigger the better. It will look like this LDR 3/4 in. PVC Ball Valve - Tractor Supply Co. EXCEPT one end will be internally threaded and one external. Lowe's sells them for less $$. You'll have to drill the correct size hole in the barrel--I think my drill was 1 1/4" and the thread size of the bung fitting was 3/4" but that's a guess.

You will also need this "bung fitting" that will fit through the hole you drilled in the barrel and will have two threaded pieces and a gasket to seal against leaks. One end of the bung fitting will be flush with the inside of the barrel and the female end will stick through the barrel so you can thread the male end of your plastic ball valve into it. Some ag places sell ball valve and bung fitting combinations as a package.

Now, the end of the ball valve will be internally threaded to accept a garden hose. Get a garden hose and you're good to go. Fill with water and look for dry things. If you happen to find any huntable doves, quail or whatever please send directions with a map, the names of some local diners and a letter of introduction so I can hunt for free.

Good luck, keep me posted and ask if you need more help on this valve thing.

 

[Travis_R]

Got everything re-planted yesterday. Since I wasn't rushed I actually done it right this time.

1 row (100') of Dasher II Cucumber and Early Prolific Yellow Crookneck Squash on same row

3 3/4 rows (375') G-90 Sweet Corn

2 rows (150') Contender Bush Snap Beans

1 row (75') Cowhorn Okra

1 row (75') Russian Mammoth Sunflower Seeds

1 row (75'?) Black Diamond Watermelon

1 row (about 5 or 6 hills) Hales Best Jumbo Cantaloupe

***I do not like cantaloupe but if It'll grow for me I'm gonna eat it! Lol***

Here is a picture of the "new" 2014 Spring Garden, for the second making...

 

[Travis_R]

The cucumbers, squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe ARE FINALLY ALL UP!! With the hot weather we've had lately, everything was up in only 5 days.
Checked the garden before I left for work this morning and there were only a couple sprouts of different seeds. Checked it this evening and every hill that was planted except 2 was UP! To me it's just absolutely amazing how hours of daylight can draw those little plants out the ground.

There's 2 or 3 sprouts of corn and a couple bean sprouts but too soon to take pictures. Will probably be more of them up by tomorrow evening. Especially if we get rain tonight and tomorrow.

I may be able to have pictures tomorrow evening. Not sure what time I'll get in.

 

[Travis_R]

Every hill of watermelon, cucumber, and squash are up as of today! Forgot to check the cantaloupe but the corn is coming up well on 1 of the rows.
Im guessing in the next 3 or 4 days the corn and snap beans should all be up. Probably sooner if we get rain.

I've been watering the watermelon, cucumber, squash, and cantaloupe.

 

[Travis_R]

...accidentally made duplicate post.