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Subject: Market Farming
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- From: "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
- To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: [Market-farming] row spacings
- Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:52:36 -0500
I think I just turned myself on my head, and need help
getting upright again. We progressed from all hand planting and hoeing, to a small
Kubota B6100 – outer wheel spacing 33”, inner 25”, with a
little single row cultivator. But the cultivator doesn’t have very good
(wide or close together) points, so I turn around and go back down the row
twice. The advantage of this is that I can slide over close to the plants on
each side, and effectively plant the field on 16” rows. Oh, it has a 42”
rototiller, which I have been using way too much, but has been a real blessing.
After years of dreaming of getting an Allis G, I got one. We have it converted
to battery, new tires, ready to get cultivation tools. I am planting 2 ½ to 3
acres. First step is to decide on tire spacing and row spacing.
Tire spacing is important because we might someday get a forage wagon or manure
spreader, etc, and will get a newer tractor with front end loader, so want to
standardize on a common width. But after drawing the various options out,
having been told that 14” is the minimum I should go with mechanical
cultivation, it doesn’t look like I am gaining much if any planting space
(rows) over the little Kubota. If I go with 5 ½ foot center to center spacing,
with 4 rows it comes out to 16.5 “ average. If I go with 6”
spacing, 4 rows on 15” is 18” average. With 5 12” rows on the
6 foot spacing, it drops down to 14.4” average. I was going to try to
develop permanent wheel tracks, but am wondering if it is worth it and if I
should just upgrade my little cultivator on the Kubota. Also, I have the option when doing fewer rows of moving
sweeps around, or just taking one off and not having them evenly spaced
(permanent places on the toolbar for 4 sweeps versus moving them around). How
do you do it? I have thought about planting most things (exceptions –
tomatoes, squash, peas) on 14” centers, adjusting the within row spacing to
give space, but think walking down 14” rows of broccoli to get second
cuts could be challenging. When I have planted on 16 to 18” rows, with
the broccoli it is a challenge – not hard, but not as fast as the edge
rows. Please, what row spacings do you find efficient, and what
tractor width do you find efficient? I have been putting this off because I
find it daunting, but need to get going. Seeds are here. Will start onions next
week, so need to get this wrapped up. My strategy is to just call Market Farm Implement and order
from them, but they want to know row spacing, tractor tire spacings and tire
width, etc, to advise me. Thank you. Beth Spaugh Farm Fresh Food Club CSA - http://rhomestead.com Garden fresh vegetables, organically grown, and pastured
chicken, duck, and geese "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 |
-
[Market-farming] row spacings,
Beth Spaugh, 02/22/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] row spacings, John Ferree, 02/23/2009
- [Market-farming] Managing fertility in light vs heavy soils, John Ferree, 02/23/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] row spacings, mcoldiron, 02/23/2009
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