What implements are best for my garden plot?

[jimpen]

Another thought is after the garden plants sprout get plastic around them and then cover the high spots with the plasticso the only place yu have to hoe/weed is what the plastic isn't covering.

 

[trollingfever]

i must be missing something, how does hilled rows and the cultivator work ? The single row cultivators are for level ground. Obviously I'm new to this, and trying to buy the right equipment for our first garden this year.

I have read here, the 4 best implements are 3pt tiller, mid buster soilier, cultivator, and hiller. Starting from scratch, I would like to buy the right things?

So how does a 48" cultivator work on a 16 to 20" hill?
Thanks
Joe

 

[forestcreature1]

google for bayou gardener to learn more about hilling and cultivators.

 

[trollingfever]

thanks, i have see those, but he doesn't cultivate hills. is this the point?

 

[MOTrussell]

thanks, i have see those, but he doesn't cultivate hills. is this the point?

This is what I bought along with a hiller. I plan on adjusting the center tines (like Bayou Gardener) higher, middle tines a little lower, and the outside tines lowest to match my hill contours to give even cultivation without tearing down the hills. With 20 inches of shank adjustment, I don't think I will have a problem.

Compact Tractor Heavy Duty 6 Shank Toolbar Cultivator - McGee Farm Equipment, Inc.

Here is the specific video from Bayou Gardener...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKQFzgOfUnQ

 

[nickc]

Last year in my garden (20 x 50) I made 3 rows the long way, with soaker hoses buried under. I found that by only watering the roots the weeds were minimal. results were fantastic, best tomatoes, zucchini, & cherry peppers I have ever grown.
The bayou gardener is a great site to check out for ideas. He uses a row hipper for cultivating his rows.
Nice tool to have.

 

[DFB]

50" Tiller and 2 FT wide plastic mulch layer

Its what I used for years

 

[trollingfever]

thanks motrussell, i didn't see that video, the adjustable depth shanks explained it all. the tiller i was looking at was fixed height spring type.
thanks again.
joe

 

[Egon]

The roto tiller. You can till narrower by taking off outside tines. Just go regular the first year and then make plans for the next year. A small walk behind tiller may be perfect between rows for in season weed control.

Raised beds a little wider than the tiller would be nice.

 

[RalphVa]

I had a 50x75 garden plot for about 13 years until I got congestive heart failure and gave it up in favor of 7 raised beds up here near the house. I originally tilled up the tall fescue and made raised rows with a Gravely rotary plow. After I got the JD 4010 (more like a JD 2019 today if they existed in this hp) in 2004. A friend of mine gave me an old soil ripper from his JD 18 hp gas tractor. I converted it to 3ph and retilled the garden. Then I mounted some big discs on it and made 20 raised rows perpendicular to the 75' dimension. Pictures below. You can make this same rig today with a Keulavator ordered online.

Then I went no till. Mainly what I did was haul mulch for the raised rows. Between rows, I placed plastic to keep the weeds down. Picture of mulch hauler below, too.

Ralph