garden ?

[rockbuilt 7]

my wife and I want to plant a garden this spring and I know my WH is up to the challenge but

I have no idea what I am doing

This is what I do know

I have a mold bore plow to turn the soil step #1

I have a cultivator to break up the soil step#2

and no tiller yet but I will till step #3

and that is about it what do I do about the grass do I leave it or remove it

do I have to fertilize? (I don't want to use chemicals) the soil looks good (flat boarders steam)

does geography matter I live in MD near PA mid atlantic

I know with snow on the ground may be an odd time to ask about gardening but I want to have a good solid plan before spring gets here Thanks in advance for your help

[CasualObserver 3,406]

Well, I think you have the basics down already. As for the grass... in my opinion it's best to start this prep in the fall... but since that opportunity is long gone you just make do. Lay out your garden area as soon as possible after the snow is gone. Roundup the grass (spray while walking backwards because if you walk forwards through the sprayed area, you'll have dead grass foot prints all the way back to the shop!) Give it about a week to work and die off, then plow under the turf. The Roundup won't hurt anything, and won't effect any garden germination. If possible, you may even want to take any leftover piles of leaves and spread them before you plow too. First mow them to chop them into smaller pieces that break down faster, and then plow them and the turf under. Adding rich composting materials will help the "starter" effect on your garden.

Hopefully Mainedad will see this and jump in. He's a very active tractor gardener and has a lot of good tips. You can check out his blog at http://www.gardentractorgardening.com/ Good luck! It would be nice to see some gardening topics here this year!

[Rideawaysenior 25]

Once your soil is prepped, I would have the soil tested. Soil conditions vary depending on what you are looking to grow. There are home testing kits that you can get from Home Depot and Lowes as well as other garden stores. If you do test your soil on your own, make sure that you take several samples from different areas of your plot.

Roundup is a good chemical to use for prepping your lot too. I prefer Amine 400 and I'll tell you why. Roundup is a glyphosphate based chemical which is pretty non discriminate when it comes to herbicides, and it has lasting properties. There are many veggies out there that are Roundup safe however they are engineered to be.

Amine 400 which is made by Chemtrec uses a dymethaline salt combination. It is quite potent however in different concentrations can be applied just before planting and even while some crops are in the fledgling stage. I would atleast recommend that you start that way this year for yoru weed control. At the conclusion of this growing season, I would plant a cover crop of rye. In the spring when you till it in, it has natural properties that prohibit weed growth and also give you a good source of nitrogen as it decomposes in the soil.

Please feel free to message me or email me through the site it you have any questions during your prep or even during your growing season. I'd be glad to lend any advice that I can.

Jack

[Jim_M 178]

When starting a new plot I try to to do it in the fall. I don't bother to kill the grass. I just till it up good, let it sit a couple of weeks and till it again, that usually takes care of the grass.

After it's tilled I like to put a good layer of cow manure on, 3 or 4 inches of it.

In the spring when the soil is dry till it all again. Don't rush it, if the soil is wet enough to form a ball and not crumble, it's too wet to work, wait until it drys out.

After your plants are up you can mulch between the rows with good clean straw or even better yet, good clean alfalfa hay. It will keep the weeds down and hold the moisture in, plus it will decay and add good organic matter to the soil. You can also use leaves but be careful what kind you use. Some leaves will make the soil too acidic and tomatoes don't do well around oak or walnut leaves. be sure to keep the weeds pulled in the rows and the soil loose around the plants. A garden weasel is a great tool for keeping the soil loose between the plants.

In the fall, after the frost has killed everything I mow everything down and plow the garden with a moldboard plow. I add 2 to 4 inches of cow manure every 2 years, 3 at the most.

[Buzz 502]

You might want to check out MyTractorForum for gardening:

http://www.mytractorforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=86

and organic gardening:

http://www.mytractorforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=51

[MaineDad 85]

Rockbuilt,

Your Wheel Horse is more than up to the challenge of starting a garden! It takes patience, knowledge, and some luck, but you can have year after year of wonderful harvests and your WH tractor will earn it's keep.

As Jason said (Thanks Jason) you can read through my web site and watch videos of the Wheel Horse in action. I have nearly three years worth of information there that hopefully will help you get started, including turning a lawn area into a garden. Email me if you have any questions, I'd be glad to help.

http://www.gardentractorgardening.com

Micah

[MaineDad 85]

You may want to start here;

http://www.gardentractorgardening.com/search/label/Tillage

[Horse Fanatic 49]

One thing to keep in mind about mulching, if you mulch with material that has not already been composted, whether it's tilled in or on top to keep weeds down, the process of those decomposing will use the nitrogen in the soil. So you may have to add additional nitrogen to compensate.

A few basic points, you should choose a sunny location, the area should have good drainage (garden plants won't do well if it's too wet), organic matter (composted manure, peat moss etc) is a universal soil improver, it lightens heavy clay soil and helps retain moisture in light sandy soil.

Don't over till the soil, it will pulverize it and make it dust which will compact and ruin drainage.

Some crops will be ready for harvest all at once, such as lettuce. So if you plant 2 dozen lettuce plants, you will have two dozen heads to eat at once. You might want to stagger planting of things like this.

If you are starting plants from seed, you might want to plant the seeds in flats and get them germinated before planing out in the garden.

Good luck!

[1056 20]

Give this a look. http://www.endtimesreport.com/garden_tractor_gardening.html

The spike harrow can level the garden after using the disk or plow, break up clods of dirt, and even cultivate between wide rows after planting.

A spike tooth harrow can also shallowly cultivate wide paths. For the paths between the rows, you want many tines set shallow, and there are many styles to do this.

Edit: Please refrain from directly copying written materials from other websites. Instead, try to post the link so proper credit and all possible courtesies are given to the owner of the information. B)

[6wheeler 596]

You are getting some good advice here. However there are some things I do that may also be of help.The one thing I learned when I was farming, is that spring plowing is an extremely good source of weed control Ie. moldboard plowing. If you plow 4 or 5 inches deep and roll it over, the weed seeds that are already there will be too deep to germinate. There are drawbacks though, the ground can dry out and become hard if you wait too long to disc it to break it up. As far as Roundup goes, be careful. As was said, it is a good burndown for broadleaves and grasses. BUT, ANY DRIFT on surrounding shrubs and evergreens can be devastating. Flowers and ornamentals are in danger also. I do not do burndown myself, but it is a personal preferrence. Also be careful with manure, bovine or equine(my personal favorite) are very good. Manure that has been in a manure pile for awhile and composted s best. Poultry manure is very good IF you need nitrogen. Bad if you don't. Remember, if it grows below the ground (potatoes, radishes, onions) nitrogen will make the plant tall and no fruit... Legumes (peas, beans and such) Make nitrogen... Rye grass or cover grass makes excellent GREEN manure when tilled in. Also watch your insecticides, some are absorbed by the plant and go into the vegetables so, READ ALL LABELS.. Remember, Chemical drift into your neighbors yard or garden is YOUR responsibility... Have fun, enjoy your bounty Pat

[rockbuilt 7]

WOW!!! Thanks everyone I think I have some good leads and advise to fallow I don't want to use chemicals because of the stream near me and I want to try to be as organic as possible

looks like I have some planning to do I am sure I will be asking more once I get started and Thanks again to everyone B)