TODAYS SEAT TIME

[Sysop]

FINALLY had a couple dry days in a row. Tomorrow is supposed to be really nice, so am hoping to work on the driveway some. Todays plans were just to get the tractor ready. It has spent the winter in the barn with the backhoe hanging on it...

Yesterday was overcast and windy, high 30s. Today it got upper 40s and was sunny. Made a needed adjustment to the new backhoe thumb, the pin fit too tight in certain holes and needed enlarged a bit so position changes could be tool-free. Then I dropped the hoe, installed the 3pt hitch, and hooked up the box blade. Everything went so quick and smooth on the swap, I still had some daylight so started scraping down the driveway to rid it of the ruts before spreading my shiny new gravel... Most of the driveway looked great with just a scrape. Lots of my old gravel resurfaced and it looked like I'd already started spreading new. Added a couple buckets of the new gravel to my preferred parking spot so I have somewhere to put the truck while spreading. IF I can sneak out of work to have time...

 

[Muhammad]

Perhaps you will be the winner of the Yanmar. :thumbsup:

Am I allowed to enter? Probably not...

 

[daugen]

It's been so rainy here that I wasn't sure I could get the potato field done, but it turned out fine.
Would be better/fluffier if drier but waiting for dry weather is challenging. Because of turf tires, used 4wd, but probably didn't have to,
but good to run the gears once in a while. My little 21 year old Iseki/MF ran great. 2nd gear and foot to the hydro floor at full rpm, faster than I normally go but trying to get some action in the wet soil. Not much action...

Planting 400 pounds this year, hope to grow two tons of white and red potatoes, equal parts Pontiac, La Soda, Kennebec and Yukon Gold.
Some volunteers coming Sat morning to help me plant. Don't even need a furrow, soil is so soft you just push the potato into the dirt.
Try doing that in New England...

Tomorrow I take off the row covers in the fenced garden, never got down as low as they forecast but I wasn't taking any chances.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

daugen, during the year, do you have to spray for potato bugs or other pest?

SR

 

[daugen]

daugen, during the year, do you have to spray for potato bugs or other pest?

SR

Last year was my first year, and the potato bugs didn't find me. Potatoes have never been planted in this field before, I lease this land from next door farmer. This year though, yeah, I have to spray. Probably will use mix of Neem oil and spinosad (Bob's Dead Bug) to keep spray organic, though dumping lots of 34-0-0- so not organic overall. I have a pull behind gas powered orchard sprayer that has rear nozzles, but will probably just use the gun. I made the rows extra wide so my Gravely garden tractor pulling the sprayer would fit in between, at least in beginning.
I can sit comfortably on the Gravely and spray while riding along. Figuring I'll have to spray twice, but honestly, have no experience in this, just wish I could find Neem oil locally in larger quantities to get the price down. Expensive stuff.

Some folks pick the bugs off, but that's too much bending over for me, so spray it will be.

 

[Molalla1]

Last year was my first year, and the potato bugs didn't find me. Potatoes have never been planted in this field before, I lease this land from next door farmer. This year though, yeah, I have to spray. Probably will use mix of Neem oil and spinosad (Bob's Dead Bug) to keep spray organic, though dumping lots of 34-0-0- so not organic overall. I have a pull behind gas powered orchard sprayer that has rear nozzles, but will probably just use the gun. I made the rows extra wide so my Gravely garden tractor pulling the sprayer would fit in between, at least in beginning.
I can sit comfortably on the Gravely and spray while riding along. Figuring I'll have to spray twice, but honestly, have no experience in this, just wish I could find Neem oil locally in larger quantities to get the price down. Expensive stuff Some folks pick the bugs off, but that's too much bending over for me, so spray it will be.

:thumbsup: . . . your "needy field" I surmise. . . good for you, mine just got snowed on again . . .

 

[Paul Thornton]

I took 50 HS kids ice fishing today. The only seat time I will get for awhile is moving snow.

 

[Gordon Gould]

:thumbsup: . . . your "needy field" I surmise. . . good for you, mine just got snowed on again . . .

That doesn't seem fair this time of year for your neck of the woods or do I have that wrong ?

gg

 

[Alan W.]

Last year was my first year, and the potato bugs didn't find me. Potatoes have never been planted in this field before, I lease this land from next door farmer. This year though, yeah, I have to spray. Probably will use mix of Neem oil and spinosad (Bob's Dead Bug) to keep spray organic, though dumping lots of 34-0-0- so not organic overall. I have a pull behind gas powered orchard sprayer that has rear nozzles, but will probably just use the gun. I made the rows extra wide so my Gravely garden tractor pulling the sprayer would fit in between, at least in beginning.
I can sit comfortably on the Gravely and spray while riding along. Figuring I'll have to spray twice, but honestly, have no experience in this, just wish I could find Neem oil locally in larger quantities to get the price down. Expensive stuff.

Some folks pick the bugs off, but that's too much bending over for me, so spray it will be.

Spinosad has worked wonders for me. The bugs were just laughing when I tried Sevin and Malathion. Seems they have built up a tolerance to it. Friend of mine uses a systematic treatment in the row that works fer him but it aint organic and is absorbed by the entire plant. Hope ya have a blessed and successful year.

 

[Gordon Gould]

] took 50 HS kids ice fishing today. The only seat time I will get for awhile is moving snow.

That seems like a brave thing to do. Bet they kept you busy. Hats off though - not enough kids get to experience outdoor fun like that now-a-days. :thumbsup:

gg