So the Mrs wants a big garden. What do I use?

[flashpuppy]

The Mrs wants a big garden. Probably better to measure in acres rather than feet. We have the room for it, so no worries. As long as she is happy.

How do I do this? Pasture land that is grass will be converted. Plow and disk? Tiller? Garden bedder? Thinking we will do several very long rows but fairly far apart. I have enough tractor for whatever needs to be done, just trying to figure the best implement to use.

I also have a Farmall Cub. Is it worth trying to find a cultivator and planter for it? The

 

[/pine]

The Mrs wants a big garden. Probably better to measure in acres rather than feet. We have the room for it, so no worries. As long as she is happy.

How do I do this? Pasture land that is grass will be converted. Plow and disk? Tiller? Garden bedder? Thinking we will do several very long rows but fairly far apart. I have enough tractor for whatever needs to be done, just trying to figure the best implement to use.

I also have a Farmall Cub. Is it worth trying to find a cultivator and planter for it? The

Depending on the soil condition etc. you have the sequence about right Plow > Disc > Till > hiller/bedder...

But the size garden you are talking about I would be looking for a planter (save a lot of bending over)...!

Good luck

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Look into no-till.

 

[sixdogs]

Wife did the huge garden a lot of years ago. Women are not into clumps of dirt or uneven surfaces so a 6' rototiller with a couple of passes did the trick. Used some Preen where appropriate and all was good to go. Garden looked like potting soil and she was all smiles.

 

[3Lfarms]

Skip the plow and disc. A good tiller will chew the ground up as much as you want and make quick work of incorporating compost or crop residue.
Just mow existing grass short and spray to kill and dry out a little before tilling.
A good heavy tiller will do a good job on difficult soils. If you have rocks, leave the rear door open and it will tend to kick the rocks out and leave most laying on top of the ground to be picked up.

 

[RickB]

Skip the plow and disc. A good tiller will chew the ground up as much as you want and make quick work of incorporating compost or crop residue.
Just mow existing grass short and spray to kill and dry out a little before tilling.
A good heavy tiller will do a good job on difficult soils. If you have rocks, leave the rear door open and it will tend to kick the rocks out and leave most laying on top of the ground to be picked up.

^^^^^ This.

 

[/pine]

The ground condition makes all the difference...if it was all previously cultivated ground...just a good tiller may be all that's required...but most don't go deeper than 6"...

If the pasture is hard packed even the heaviest tiller will struggle getting deeper than a few inches...

 

[Code54]

If you have decent soil the tiller is the way to go. 2 passes and it will be done.

 

[sixdogs]

Leave the lid on the tiller down and bury the rocks. Go as slow as you can and at 540 RPM. Women like to see the results as finished and not needing to pick up rocks first. They don't mind picking them out of the dirt as they go but don't like to see them before they start. Just my observation of doing this commercially.

 

[flashpuppy]

I have discussed this with the Mrs a bit and tiller has been agreed upon. Not too surprisingly to me, she would like a walk behind rather than a 3pt. She is more of a hands on type and would like to selectively pick her garden bed layout and does not want the whole area tilled.

Thanks for the advice fellas!