Row spacing with MX5000

Michael Knight · Mar 2, 2008

I have a MX5000 and I was trying to use it to make raised bed rows for my garden. I have an old 2 bottom ford plow which I used to turn the land, then a 5 ft rotary tiller that I tilled it up with. I tried to make rows with this middle buster that I had and it is basically worthless from what I can tell. I can not seem to get the spacing right between the rows. Its on a slight hill, so I have to make rows or the whole garden will wash away.

I'm looking at the cultivator that agri supply sells or at getting an old cultivator at a sale or something, or else making myself one. Does anyone have a good setup that they use?

Michael Knight · Mar 2, 2008

Also, I was going to ask, is the tractor set up at an odd width?

When I was young, I always made rows with an allis chandler tractor and the cultivator was underneath it, so I think that's why I cant seem to make this look like what I am used to.

hdbikercouple · Mar 2, 2008

ah was it an" G "some people mount a pipe with a chain hanging down to the row they just did on the front of the tractor to keep the same with apart

RobJ · Mar 3, 2008

Your tractor width is probably set up where you would need to make 2 rows at a time. The rear wheels would be on the outside of 2 rows. I think a standard row width is about 40"...maybe less. Not sure. So you would actually need 3 MB on a bar to make it work right(2 aligned with the rear wheels, and one in the middle). Here are a couple shots of some row makers. The larger one is on my neighbors Ford 4630. The single row is what I use for my little tractor. It actually sets up the rows a bit far apart but it works for me and my little play garden. I think its because I have all my wheels at the widest position. But it'll give me some nice mounds and plenty of room between.

Rob

Michael Knight · Mar 4, 2008

I think I'll look for a used cultivator like that. That should be what I need. I'd like to make the rows with that after tilling and hopefully that will help with the hardpan problem. Pretty much the ground here is hardpan all the way to the top. When I plowed the spot for the garden the first time with the breaking plow, it only got about 4 inches in the ground on the first pass.

RobJ · Mar 4, 2008

These things only work in nice fluffy soil. They won't cut into any hard stuff (without breaking). Use that tiller to go as deep as you can. I think I get about 8-9 inches, about as deep as the disk will go. Since I have a small area I'll go over it 4-5 times.

Post some pics for us!!

Rob

Michael Knight · Mar 5, 2008

It'll be nice and fluffy now. I broke it, then went over it several times with the tiller last fall. I had a decent fall garden, all you can eat kale all winter long. Anyways, now that I got all the concrete out of there (the previous owner apparently had a horse barn there before Katrina, who knew!) its pretty nice soil. I've been adding old hay out of my chicken coup and goat/horse stalls to it where the soil was just silt/sand with no organic material in it. Hopefully it wont compact so much now.

RobJ · Mar 5, 2008

Where are you in the Katrina circle...east or west?

I added some powered lime to mine a year ago. I think it helped the sandy stuff. Around here I here chicken poop is choice for a garden. I have family in Mississippi and they use cotton gin waste. That's supposed to be nice to. Both supposed to come real cheap to.

Remember the pics!!

Rob

Michael Knight · Mar 6, 2008

I'm in Jackson county (on the George/Jackson co line), the very most south and east county in MS. I was out of the country when the storm hit actually, but it tore up Pascagoula pretty bad. I had a house in George Co at the time it was ok. I think the lime does help.

I'm looking for a tractor place that sells used equipment. I went to the Kubota place on 63, but they could only order me a new cultivator for ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS! I said, well, I think I'll use the hoe for that much.

I'm thinking of getting some box metal and making one using danish sweeps from agri supply.