Plastic Mulch Layer

[jrslick]

While it isn't finished, waiting on parts to be shipped, I was able to put together enough of it that you can tell what it is. It is a mechanical plastic mulch layer with a drip irrigation attachment. I am pulling this with my B7100.

I am missing ubolts that is the reason why I only have one rear disk hiller attached. The plastic pipe is a mock up for a roller that will be added at this location to keep the plastic tight and pressed to the ground.

It will lay down drip tape under the plastic. I am still working on the design and fabrication of this piece but the drip tape holder is made and installed.

More pictures to come when I get more done.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I'm pretty knowledgeable in turf and landscape work but I'm kinda stumped as why you'd need to lay that much plastic mulch with a drip line.

 

[jrslick]

I use plastic mulch to conserve moisture and warm the soil for heat loving crops. We plant or transplant through the plastic to grow many of our crops that we grow and sell at Farmers Markets. It also helps keep weeds down.

Here are some Watermelons growing on Black Plastic Mulch

Early in the season,

Close to harvest time,

Peppers

Okra

Sweet Potatoes

Cucumbers and Zucchini

Tomatoes in our high tunnel

All this mulch was put down by hand. It took 30-45 minutes per row and lots of hard work. I don't have money to buy a new one (1,500-4,000) so I thought I would just build it myself. We will see how it works this spring!

 

[MagKarl]

I fully believe that necessity is the mother of invention. Excellent idea jrslick. I'd like to see a video of it in action if you can.

 

[kubotasam]

Nice build!! I can't wait to see it action. Now a question about the drip tape. How do you keep it fed with water? My big garden is far enough away from the house that I haul water from the river and pump from my water trailer to irrigate my garden. Does the drip tape need a constant supply of water under pressure or could I use it with my water barrel pump system?

 

[Benhameen]

Sweet set up, is it set up to cover the sides of the plastic with dirt or do you have to do that by hand?

I'm expanding my garden this year to something close to what you have pictured. Do you make the mounds of dirt or does the weight of the tractor make them with the tires?

 

[skeets]

outstanding, we use to use a lot of plastic as well when we had the greeen houses and all the herbs and stuff she sold, but I did it all be hand,,, damn that was a ton of work,, but i was a lot younger then too,,,lol,, A very cool project

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Ahh I gotchya now, it's more for gardening.

 

[jrslick]

Nice build!! I can't wait to see it action. Now a question about the drip tape. How do you keep it fed with water? My big garden is far enough away from the house that I haul water from the river and pump from my water trailer to irrigate my garden. Does the drip tape need a constant supply of water under pressure or could I use it with my water barrel pump system?

The drip tape operates on 8 to 10 psi. I have to run pressure reducers from our well. I have heard of people operating drip system on strictly gravity, I am sure if you had some pressure reducers and maybe a bypass return valve, it could be done.

You would need to Filter the river water.

Jay

 

[jrslick]

Sweet set up, is it set up to cover the sides of the plastic with dirt or do you have to do that by hand?

I'm expanding my garden this year to something close to what you have pictured. Do you make the mounds of dirt or does the weight of the tractor make them with the tires?

The rear disc hillers will throw the dirt up to cover the edges. There is only one on it right now because I had to order more Ubolts.

I am going to try to use this on flat beds and raised beds. I will make the raised beds with a disc hiller. This is the disc hiller I made last year. It works great to make raised beds, cover up drip tape, and hill potatoes. I hilled 1/4 acre of potatoes in about 15 minutes ( would have been 5 minutes, if I didn't have to spend 10 minutes turning around, to big of a tractor in a small area.

 

[Dune33]

I built one last year, yes a real labor saver, this year i need to add a pipe to bury the drip tape it works better when it's below the soil.

Happy gardening Dune.

 

[jrslick]

I built one last year, yes a real labor saver, this year i need to add a pipe to bury the drip tape it works better when it's below the soil.

Happy gardening Dune.

Do you have any pictures of it, I would love to see one.

Jay

 

[Benhameen]

Thanks for the reply, as I said I plan to expand my garden this year. In the years past I have used the square foot gardening technique with good results. Well it was actually 8'x40" with the same principles as a sq ft garden.

I'm sure I could make a similar devise. I will need to pick your brain before spring on some do's and don'ts. As with most people my time is limited working 40-50hrs a week, and this is a hobby. I'd also like to set up a farmers market in my small hometown.

 

[Dune33]

This picture was last year on my old L1500 i did add a funnel to the front for this year

 

[Dune33]

Befor paint

 

[Benhameen]

That is sweet! what are the black squares behind the wheels? What do you think it cost to make?

 

[Dune33]

The black shields keep excsessive dirt from covering the plastic, less dirt showing means less weeds, when i put the plastic down i just have the with of the tires that is still dirt then i cover that aera with leaves or mulch,
Now i'm getting fired up to get into the garden, never mind 10" of snow tonight, ill have to wait till May

 

[jrslick]

Befor paint

That looks nice, couple quick questions. What did you make the roller out of? How is it attached to the side pieces. It looks like it is just bolted on, any bearings?

Thanks!

 

[Benhameen]

The black shields keep excsessive dirt from covering the plastic, less dirt showing means less weeds, when i put the plastic down i just have the with of the tires that is still dirt then i cover that aera with leaves or mulch,
Now i'm getting fired up to get into the garden, never mind 10" of snow tonight, ill have to wait till May

That's kinda what I thought they were for. I'm getting pretty fired up for this season as well. Just a dusting of snow here last week, melted off the next day. I plowed an 1 1/2 a few weeks ago, it's just to wet to do anything else with it right now. According to the farmers almanac I can plant onions, lettuce and such as of march 1 st just too muddy to do it.

Any one have pics of onions and or lettuce growing using this technique?

Even though its muddy I still have 27 hrs on my new L3800, I took down another jump on my old motocross track on Sunday. I was muddy as h... I just can't stay off my new toy.

 

[jrslick]

. According to the farmers almanac I can plant onions, lettuce and such as of march 1 st just too muddy to do it.

Any one have pics of onions and or lettuce growing using this technique?

.

I have already planted over 6,000 onions (on Feb 4-6) and two 4 by 45 ft beds of carrots (planted on Jan 28th). However these are inside my high tunnels and not outside.
I will also be planting tomatoes around the 15th of March, also in high tunnel.

Onions

Carrots