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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] snapping tops off carrots

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  • From: "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] snapping tops off carrots
  • Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:56:14 -0500

Works wonderfully in heavy soils. Starts with planting though.  We have two old horse drawn hilling disks on an oak bar, that I make ridges a foot high with (plan to upgrade to something heavier next year).  Then take a rake (wanted a hanging bar under the oak to level it but didn’t get to it) and level it off to about a foot wide and probably 8 or 9 inches tall.  Plant two rows of carrot seed on top.

 

To dig, I bought a small subsoiler last spring.  It doesn’t subsoil, but I drive it down between the two rows of carrots and it lifts them loose.  Then go back and just pull by the huge handful, maybe a foot at a time. Figured even if we can’t get it deep enough to subsoil it paid for itself in savings digging carrots.

 

It also worked wonders with daikon planted on flat ground, so might do just as well with carrots not on ridges (but my carrots would be stumpy if not on ridges). Still have some plastic mulch down and think I’ll try driving it along the edge and see if it lifts the soil enough to loosen without actually catching the plastic (yes, I know they make undercutters, but I don’t have those). We have used a middle buster for digging potatoes, but I will try this with potatoes next year also.

 

The subsoiler I bought was from Buckeye Tractor (got it in the same shipment as the wonderful raised bed/plastic mulch layter that has saved SOOO much time).  Since I mentioned the mulch layer I will share another gem I tried this year.  We had 4 foot wide ground cloth and put that down between the plastic.  No weeds where we had about 100 feet of alternating plastic and ground cloth.  It is $30 for 250 feet at Sam’s Club – less than I would be paying for weeding.

 

Beth Spaugh

Rehoboth Homestead, Peru NY

http://rhomestead.com      http://www.facebook.com/rhomestead

 

"How we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used." - Wendell Berry

"Without power over our food, any notion of democracy is empty." - Frances Moore Lappe

It's not that nice guys finish last. They have a whole different notion where the finish line is. - unkonown

 

 


From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Road's End Farm
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2012 5:42 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] snapping tops off carrots

 

 

On Nov 19, 2012, at 5:11 PM, Beth Spaugh wrote:



We have a technique to pull carrots quickly

 

I've no help on the topping -- but when you have time (which from the sound of it may not be right now): what is your fast pulling technique? and will it work in heavier soils?

 

 

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think

Fresh-market organic produce, small scale

 




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