Implement Selection for new garden

[kckndrgn]

I'm looking to expand my garden and I wan to use my BX. Getting a tiller at this point is probably out of the question due to cost. (though I did just miss one on CL for $500.00 ).

My current garden is approximately 25'x'25 and was new this year (just moved into my home last fall).

While I have access to a walk behind tiller and a pull behind tiller, I'm looking to speed up prepping the garden.

I was looking at getting a single bottom plow for turning over the new area.

Thoughts? should I wait and see if I can find a 4' tiller on CL or get the plow, or get something else.

I can use the plow to help make small swales and for food plot prep on my hunting land and it would be used to help create channels to direct water at home.

Thanks in advance to for any help.

 

[D2Cat]

Plow your garden spot. Winter will mellow out the ground and give you more time to find a tiller, if that's what you decide to do. It will work so much easier in the spring!

You'll be able to find one on Cl for less then $200.

 

[kckndrgn]

Plow your garden spot. Winter will mellow out the ground and give you more time to find a tiller, if that's what you decide to do. It will work so much easier in the spring!

You'll be able to find one on Cl for less then $200.

All I'm finding on CL now in my area are 2 bottom plows and I don't think my BX can handle that, from what I've read.

Here are the two I've found:
http://memphis.craigslist.org/grd/5778156782.html

http://memphis.craigslist.org/grd/5772449014.html

Being new to using the implement, I'm leaning towards new, but I can always be persuade to save a few bucks.

 

[D2Cat]

http://memphis.craigslist.org/grd/5775920295.html

This guy has a 1 bottom plow for $300. He says it's new so he may be a dealer. But it's not too far away. That's the size you need, definitely not a 2 bottom.

 

[kckndrgn]

Contacted the seller this morning they are out of stock for a few weeks. I'll keep looking. Thanks for the help

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Creature Meadow]

IMHO, tillers are the way to go in most cases. The tiller will only disturb the top 6 to 8 inches of soil which is where the most nutrients are. At least that is the case here in NC where I live. Bottom plows are an excellent choice for turning lots of grass, leaves etc. over to expose dirt for building up your soil. I suggest using caution if you go the bottom plow route and not run it to deep thus bring up nutrient deficient soil.


Our process looks like this.
Spring-Soil sample-apply lime as needed
Spring-Disk or till in oats,wheat, and the legume we have planted previous fall
Spring-Run rows for garden-rotating crops each year
Late Summer-Replant same as spring for the short season growers like squash, cucumbers, etc.
Fall-plant cover crop in upper or lower garden
Fall-dump leaves upper or lower half that was not planted and till or disk in(time the leaves fall to late to plant cover crop)
Repeat....
We have about an acre between top and bottom gardens so the above works for us, yours being small this may do fit your needs.

Few farmers in my area go the bottom plow route any longer and IMO that is why we them them for sale more often than tillers.

Good luck in your search for the implements that best fits your needs.

Jay

 

[clay45]

IMHO, tillers are the way to go in most cases. The tiller will only disturb the top 6 to 8 inches of soil which is where the most nutrients are. At least that is the case here in NC where I live. Bottom plows are an excellent choice for turning lots of grass, leaves etc. over to expose dirt for building up your soil. I suggest using caution if you go the bottom plow route and not run it to deep thus bring up nutrient deficient soil.


Our process looks like this.
Spring-Soil sample-apply lime as needed
Spring-Disk or till in oats,wheat, and the legume we have planted previous fall
Spring-Run rows for garden-rotating crops each year
Late Summer-Replant same as spring for the short season growers like squash, cucumbers, etc.
Fall-plant cover crop in upper or lower garden
Fall-dump leaves upper or lower half that was not planted and till or disk in(time the leaves fall to late to plant cover crop)
Repeat....
We have about an acre between top and bottom gardens so the above works for us, yours being small this may do fit your needs.

Few farmers in my area go the bottom plow route any longer and IMO that is why we them them for sale more often than tillers.

Good luck in your search for the implements that best fits your needs.

Jay

A very nice routine Jay.

 

[kckndrgn]

IMHO, tillers are the way to go in most cases. The tiller will only disturb the top 6 to 8 inches of soil which is where the most nutrients are. At least that is the case here in NC where I live. Bottom plows are an excellent choice for turning lots of grass, leaves etc. over to expose dirt for building up your soil. I suggest using caution if you go the bottom plow route and not run it to deep thus bring up nutrient deficient soil.


Our process looks like this.
Spring-Soil sample-apply lime as needed
Spring-Disk or till in oats,wheat, and the legume we have planted previous fall
Spring-Run rows for garden-rotating crops each year
Late Summer-Replant same as spring for the short season growers like squash, cucumbers, etc.
Fall-plant cover crop in upper or lower garden
Fall-dump leaves upper or lower half that was not planted and till or disk in(time the leaves fall to late to plant cover crop)
Repeat....
We have about an acre between top and bottom gardens so the above works for us, yours being small this may do fit your needs.

Few farmers in my area go the bottom plow route any longer and IMO that is why we them them for sale more often than tillers.

Good luck in your search for the implements that best fits your needs.

Jay

Thanks for the run down.

Seems that every time I'm ready to pull the trigger on an attachment for my tractor the local supply goes dry. Just my luck.
I do see a 5' disc near me. In your opinion would the disc be better than the plow?
I do intend on using the implement to help with a small (.25 acre) food plot on my hunting property.

Thanks again.

 

[BCrouse]

It depends what you're starting with and what type of soil it is.


My "starting point" was unworked land with chest high vegetation, poison ivy, small trees etc.

I bought a bush hog with my tractor, so I used that to clear the vegetation. I let that sit for a few weeks.

I then bought an old 14" Ford 101 1-bottom plow for $150. I used that to plow the land and get all the organic matter under the soil as well as break up some of the smaller roots and such. I dont plan on using the plow year to year for this ground. New ground, sure.

I then let that sit for a few weeks and the soil started to loosen itself a bit.

I bought a rotary tiller for use for secondary tillage (and prob all other tillage on the section I opened up already)

This left the soil pretty fluffy but there were A LOT of rocks and roots still in it.

I borrowed my neighbors landscaper/york rake and made some passes with that to pull some of the larger rocks and roots out.

I then hit the dirt one last time with the tiller.

From this:

To this:

I just put seed in the ground (cover crop). See how it goes....

 

[kckndrgn]

Thanks BCrouse, looks like you got a good plot there.

My soil is primarily clay.

At home, the previous owners tried a garden (too big and too much work for them) so i'm using the area they tilled. The grass has grown back but it's not too bad. I managed to till up a 25x25' bed for my garden this year with my FIL's tiller (walk behind). Did it in 3 passes, 1st pass was shallow and just broke the ground and got some of the grass turned up. Next two pass were deeper and it was good.

My hunting land will be an area that used to be crop land, 30+ years ago. For the past 30 years it's just been a field that has been mowed or brush hogged depending on how tall it got between mowing.