2020 Gardening Bug has bitten.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

I know I have sorta hi-jacked @PeacemakerJack's "let's go plowing/rolling dirt" thread with my gardening madness so I'll start it over here with some pics of the progress I have made so far and as planting and growing season continues... I also encourage any other RS member who is preparing a garden this year to contribute to this thread as well like @Greentored, @Andy N., @ZXT, ect so here it goes...from sinking a plow in the ground to tilling and discing to bringing over all of dad's sleeve hitch gardening implements to making rows and planting potatoes and onions today at the in-laws plot. Will update as things proceed like planting other veggies and maintaining plants and soil/weed control ect.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by WVHillbilly520H

[JAinVA 4,619]

Jeff.

  Trust me the horses make gardening easier.We have most of our garden in and have potatoes coming up.Just be glad you're in Va and not Michigan.You can at least buy seeds and plants here.

Edited April 19, 2020 by JAinVA

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

This is great Jeff!   This will be a fun thread to follow and see how the garden turns out as the summer passes.  I love all the cool implements and great shots of the horses in their work clothes.  I can only imagine that you ended up with a decent amount of seat time.  Good luck as you get it prepped and planted!

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

4 minutes ago, PeacemakerJack said:

This is great Jeff!   This will be a fun thread to follow and see how the garden turns out as the summer passes.  I love all the cool implements and great shots of the horses in their work clothes.  I can only imagine that you ended up with a decent amount of seat time.  Good luck as you get it prepped and planted!

I plan on cleaning up all of dad's implements, the blue Brinly cultivators were originally white, his moldboard plow (8") was originally from a 2 wheeled (David Bradley?) tractor , the furrow/potato plow I believe is a hy-brid as well.

 

1 hour ago, JAinVA said:

Jeff.

  Trust me the horses make gardening easier.We have most of our garden in and have potatoes coming up.Just be glad you're in Va and not Michigan.You can at least buy seeds and plants here.

Believe me I like using the s but I'm getting spoiled on the little diesels been looking at 3pt tillers may end up with 1 this fall.

[JAinVA 4,619]

That will be the cats meow.Getting the crops in is a lot of work but keeping the crops from being decimated by critters is even more of a concern.My next door neighbor planted corn in his garden and when he did I told him it was a waste of time.He asked why and I told him coons and squirrels.He only planted corn one year.None to eat for him and his wife.I have to cage tomatoes to keep squirrels at bay.Ground hogs destroyed green beans for 2 years until trapped.I have a 5 foot tall fence around the garden to keep the deer out.Hope you don't have these issues but  just saying.Is that a Ford f600 dump back there?

Edited April 19, 2020 by JAinVA

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

9 minutes ago, JAinVA said:

That will be the cats meow.Getting the crops in is a lot of work but keeping the crops from being decimated by critters is even more of a concern.My next door neighbor planted corn in his garden and when he did I told him it was a waste of time.He asked why and I told him coons and squirrels.He only planted that year.None to eat for him and his wife.I have to cage tomatoes to keep squirrels at bay.Ground hogs destroyed green beans for 2 years until trapped.I have a 5 foot tall fence around the garden to keep the deer out.Hope you don't have these issues but  just saying.Is that a Ford f600 dump back there?

We have critters but my FIL says he really didn't have too many issues with them before,  I usually keep the groundhog population to a bare minimum, we'll just have to watch and see what unfolds this year with the rest. There's a deer and rabbit "repellent" spray I want to try as well marigolds I hear work to keep the critters at bay.  As far as the the F600 yes my FIL started to fix it for an area farmer (before having half a lung removed winter of 2018) it runs fair dump bed works but the cab and front fenders are barely there just like the brakes. 

[Pullstart 62,835]

Can’t wait until our soil is warm enough to plant!  We’re getting ready up here in Michigan!

[8ntruck 6,998]

34 minutes ago, pullstart said:

Can’t wait until our soil is warm enough to plant!  We’re getting ready up here in Michigan!

Can you mail order your seeds?  Got your tomato plants started in a hot frame yet?

[Zeek 2,286]

Nice job! 

[Pullstart 62,835]

1 hour ago, 8ntruck said:

Can you mail order your seeds?  Got your tomato plants started in a hot frame yet?

 

We had seeds saved from years past and have started some plants indoors 

 

 

[ZXT 2,401]

Looks like a good start to a garden!

 

The tilling I did with the C-160 was for my father in his garden. Last I saw, he planted a couple of tomato plants and some strawberries. Not sure if he's done much else. Critters are bad about robbing everything that grows but I'll be sure to throw some pictures up if it does wind up producing anything. He was late on starting the garden so I'm not sure how successful it'll be. He should've planted a couple of months ago.

[Dan.gerous 2,696]

We are just getting ready to start a large garden on virginground, but I am having problems sourcing a rotovator over here in the UK so its looking like we will be digging it all over by hand while the wheelhorse sits and watches

 

I have a garden shed and some greenhouses to build next  to the garden area, so will do that first and hopefully something will turn up. Will post pictures as we proceed.

 

[Tractorhead 9,064]

3 hours ago, Dan.gerous said:

We are just getting ready to start a large garden on virginground, but I am having problems sourcing a rotovator over here in the UK so its looking like we will be digging it all over by hand while the wheelhorse sits and watches

 

I have a garden shed and some greenhouses to build next  to the garden area, so will do that first and hopefully something will turn up. Will post pictures as we proceed.

 

 

No chance to find a Plow, that fits onto your Horse?

That‘s way easier than by hands.

To break the Soil you maybe need few passes, but you can take care to your Back.

That was the Way i did.

 

Rototillers for a Wheelhorse are hard to find arround Europe.

[Dan.gerous 2,696]

Here is the yard, it should look a bit different by the time we have finished. I am suprised that the previous manager of the farm never had a vegetable garden - youths of today!

[Dan.gerous 2,696]

2 minutes ago, Tractorhead said:

 

No chance to find a Plow, that fits onto your Horse?

That‘s way easier than by hands.

To break the Soil you maybe need few passes, but you can take care to your Back.

That was the Way i did.

 

Rototillers for a Wheelhorse are hard to find arround Europe.

If I have to do it by hand I will just do a little bit at a time as we need the extra space. The idea hurts my back let alone actually doing it!

[Tractorhead 9,064]

I get an older rototiller from our landlady with a Damaged Engine for free,

no Sparkplug in and sits outside without a Cover over years.

 

I exchanged the dead Engine simply with a cheap one from the Bay

( that was the Cheaper Way instead fixing the rusted and rotten Briggs)

 

i reworked it and increased the Hackstars in the width, that‘s a way easier to handle, even if it moved by hands.

 

Several Moons ago i found a Doublesided Plow, i simply reworked to fit to my Tractors,

that is normally used on a 2 Wheeler, but it works great.

 

just as suggestion few Pics from my Rig.

 

 

 

The mechanic works, just my Verticalenginehorse was to leightweighted for a deeper Plow, so i use instead the Iseki.

That has more weight, and was simply able to pull lager equippment.

I have no doubt, your  Wheelhorse can handle it.

 

 

and a Pict after i Paint it with a Rattle Can to prevent fast rusting.

The mount i build myself from pieces of Scrap steel and an old Roundplate from a Hydraulic Vehicle Lift

and a meter of 3/4“ Steelpipe.

 

So i have a thread on the end and be able to screw maybe a depthwheel on if needed.

 

 

 

first prove of concept, how this will work.

for the doing i released the Mowerdeck and used it the Way as show‘n here.

 

I‘m surprised, because it works better than i expected.

 

 

Even on very small Areas it can be manually handled simply with great results.

 

 

With a now upgraded Engine from before 3,5 HP to now 6,5 HP, it is easy to use.

 

Just to give you an idea, how to safe your Back.👍

 

 

[Andy N. 2,142]

12 hours ago, JAinVA said:

That will be the cats meow.Getting the crops in is a lot of work but keeping the crops from being decimated by critters is even more of a concern.My next door neighbor planted corn in his garden and when he did I told him it was a waste of time.He asked why and I told him coons and squirrels.He only planted corn one year.None to eat for him and his wife.I have to cage tomatoes to keep squirrels at bay.Ground hogs destroyed green beans for 2 years until trapped.I have a 5 foot tall fence around the garden to keep the deer out.Hope you don't have these issues but  just saying.Is that a Ford f600 dump back there?

 

I had that problem last year as well with my sweet corn. I have a plan this year to help with the squirrel issue. I'll post pics when it is in place. 

 

 

 

 

Still too cold here to plant, but will definitely post updates.

 

Here's the cultivator that I picked up last year with the donor 520H that I bought last fall. 

 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

3 hours ago, Andy N. said:

 

I had that problem last year as well with my sweet corn. I have a plan this year to help with the squirrel issue. I'll post pics when it is in place. 

 

 

 

 

Still too cold here to plant, but will definitely post updates.

 

Here's the cultivator that I picked up last year with the donor 520H that I bought last fall. 

 

Yeah those cultivators definitely need extra weight .... when I was a young lad before my teen years dad "got" me to stand on the cultivators for weight and with the old manual lift Cub Cadet he would yank it with me riding right out of the ground at the end of rows,  good times, now a days that might be construed "child endangerment" my how the times have changed... Good luck with the garden.

[Dan.gerous 2,696]

9 hours ago, Tractorhead said:

I get an older rototiller from our landlady with a Damaged Engine for free,

no Sparkplug in and sits outside without a Cover over years.

 

I exchanged the dead Engine simply with a cheap one from the Bay

( that was the Cheaper Way instead fixing the rusted and rotten Briggs)

 

i reworked it and increased the Hackstars in the width, that‘s a way easier to handle, even if it moved by hands.

 

Several Moons ago i found a Doublesided Plow, i simply reworked to fit to my Tractors,

that is normally used on a 2 Wheeler, but it works great.

 

just as suggestion few Pics from my Rig.

 

 

 

The mechanic works, just my Verticalenginehorse was to leightweighted for a deeper Plow, so i use instead the Iseki.

That has more weight, and was simply able to pull lager equippment.

I have no doubt, your  Wheelhorse can handle it.

 

 

and a Pict after i Paint it with a Rattle Can to prevent fast rusting.

The mount i build myself from pieces of Scrap steel and an old Roundplate from a Hydraulic Vehicle Lift

and a meter of 3/4“ Steelpipe.

 

So i have a thread on the end and be able to screw maybe a depthwheel on if needed.

 

 

 

first prove of concept, how this will work.

for the doing i released the Mowerdeck and used it the Way as show‘n here.

 

I‘m surprised, because it works better than i expected.

 

 

Even on very small Areas it can be manually handled simply with great results.

 

 

With a now upgraded Engine from before 3,5 HP to now 6,5 HP, it is easy to use.

 

Just to give you an idea, how to safe your Back.👍

 

 

 

9 hours ago, Tractorhead said:

I get an older rototiller from our landlady with a Damaged Engine for free,

no Sparkplug in and sits outside without a Cover over years.

 

I exchanged the dead Engine simply with a cheap one from the Bay

( that was the Cheaper Way instead fixing the rusted and rotten Briggs)

 

i reworked it and increased the Hackstars in the width, that‘s a way easier to handle, even if it moved by hands.

 

Several Moons ago i found a Doublesided Plow, i simply reworked to fit to my Tractors,

that is normally used on a 2 Wheeler, but it works great.

 

just as suggestion few Pics from my Rig.

 

 

 

The mechanic works, just my Verticalenginehorse was to leightweighted for a deeper Plow, so i use instead the Iseki.

That has more weight, and was simply able to pull lager equippment.

I have no doubt, your  Wheelhorse can handle it.

 

 

and a Pict after i Paint it with a Rattle Can to prevent fast rusting.

The mount i build myself from pieces of Scrap steel and an old Roundplate from a Hydraulic Vehicle Lift

and a meter of 3/4“ Steelpipe.

 

So i have a thread on the end and be able to screw maybe a depthwheel on if needed.

 

 

 

first prove of concept, how this will work.

for the doing i released the Mowerdeck and used it the Way as show‘n here.

 

I‘m surprised, because it works better than i expected.

 

 

Even on very small Areas it can be manually handled simply with great results.

 

 

With a now upgraded Engine from before 3,5 HP to now 6,5 HP, it is easy to use.

 

Just to give you an idea, how to safe your Back.👍

 

 

 

I just managed to get a rototiller 🙂 but thank you for the advice, that would have been my back up plan.

[Greentored 3,201]

Yeah buddy! Went through some pics and there’s some steps missing, but the fellas helped me out a ton on @PeacemakerJack rolling dirt thread getting the plow dialed in on the 520. Taters, onions, beets, carrots and peas went in early March, beans, peas, cukes, squash and peppers went in Friday. My first attempt at gardening. 

Neat side note: I bought this place last fall and when cleaning out the garage I found a sealed jar of bean seeds. Previous owner grew a ton of beans before passing away in 2012. Well, there’s a row of his beans in the garden, same place he grew them! 

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Thanks for sharing this Jeff!  I especially like the part where you are planting beans carried over from the previous owner—how cool is that?  I am looking forward to watching this garden grow over the summer via this thread.  Looks like all your equipment,  and otherwise, did a great job to help you get seeds in the ground.

 

well done sir.

[Greentored 3,201]

4 minutes ago, PeacemakerJack said:

Thanks for sharing this Jeff!  I especially like the part where you are planting beans carried over from the previous owner—how cool is that?  I am looking forward to watching this garden grow over the summer via this thread.  Looks like all your equipment,  and otherwise, did a great job to help you get seeds in the ground.

 

well done sir.

Thanks buddy!  Now all we need is a plow day, im dying for one!

[Dan.gerous 2,696]

Got our new (old) rototiller in action today. The soil was brutal - we took out four tractor buckets of big rocks in that small area. I had to do a few running repairs along the way, but the wheelhorse is a tough little bugger.

 

That's only half the size, but as it's so labour intensive with the rocks we will extend it as required.

[Greentored 3,201]

Picked up this 1277 last week, got her up and running and of course added a stack, and put her right to work. The taters and peas are going apes**t, onions are slow but coming up, beets are even slower but looking better, carrots are making a valiant attempt but far delayed. Dont think this cool weather is helping- no sign of the beans, cukes or peppers yet, but its only been about 10 days and unseasonably chilly here for late April. Saving a lot of well water though, havent needed the sprinkler in over a week.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

Nothing springing up through the soil as of yet here had frost 2 nights last weekend and yes cool but the grass is growing like crazy here central western Blueridge Mountains of VA.