Market Farming

[Joshua Bryceson <turniprock AT gmail.com>]

I would love to have 3-4 rocks per meter. We have probably 10-15 rocks per meter on average, and I swear some spots are half stones 2-6" in diam. and half soil. The rocks will stear the cultivating tractor. Its heavy silt loam with a clay base about a foot down. the Kuhn flail mower is the first mower that hasn't fallen apart after a season of use. So we can finally mow crops and cover. But now we need a good final pass for a level seed bed. we have been using 'stone burier' but that doesn't seem to handle the bigger rocks. We are picking rock some places we have hand picked and machine picked for 4 years and still have rocks 6-8" burping up with the field digger.  Aside from a $25000 rock picker, or a $20000 stone burier that will handle 8" rock, Im lost for ideas.  I imagine the power harrow will work the soil and just kick the rocks around. Im leaning more towards a bed shaper or something that will press the rocks down so we can a level and fine seed bed for small seeded stuff. Most large transplants do fine after a few passes with a field digger and drag.

On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 7:37 AM, Sean Albiston <lab AT physics.umn.edu> wrote:

Josh, how rocky are you talking about?  I have a few spots at my place
that have 3-4 baseball sized rocks per cubic meter of soil, pretty heavy
stuff too.  I've had really good luck with my imants 32 series with
harrow.  It churns out rocks fairly well.  Anything softball sized and up
will likely pop the shear pin, so it winds up costing about 5cents per
boulder.  I have a couple of large piles of rocks and a few mason jars of
popped grade 5 1/4-20 bolts.  I consider it a truly one pass device.  I
can usually flail, then cultivate, making a plant-able bed.  I've churned
out a number of spotted salamanders over the years that just walk out of
the soil after cultivating; the shovel/tines turn very slowly lightening
the impact compared to most tillers.

I've got my heart set on a new 33 series and bigger tractor.

Here's a link showing the 33 in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Of97cE1tmc

sean

>  Dave, do have any rock? how would this power harrow work in stoney
> conditions with heavy soil?  Has anyone with stones have experience with
> any bed shaping equipment and any recommendations for Primary and
> secondary
> tillage?
>
> On Tue, Oct 23, 2012 at 3:38 PM, pech <pech9 AT rocketmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I got a 4' power harrow made by Kuhn.....it's softer on the soil and
>> goes
>> deep. I've been using it for 2 years and have see an improvement in the
>> over all health of my soil. One good thing is you can run it an inch or
>> so
>> deep for weeding or 10 or 11 inches for primary tillage. The only
>> trouble I
>> have is that it leaves what ever I'm harrowing in tact and on the
>> surface,
>> so if I'm trying to kill an old bed of Kale all the stems and woody
>> matter
>> stays on the surface and it's hard to get a seeder through. A power
>> harrow
>> is as pricey as a small spader but much more rugged and useful in
>> my opinion...
>>
>> speaking of that does anyone know of a bed "cleaner"? Something that
>> would
>> pick up the trash and leave the soil? I'm sorta envisioning
>> a vibrating table that would attach to a 3 point....I may be dreaming, I
>> also want a solar powered drone to fly over my chicken fields and keep
>> the hawks at bay....
>>
>> Have Fun
>> Dave
>> z6a
>>

>>   ------------------------------
>> *From:* John Ehrlich <johnkaty AT shaw.ca>
>> *To:* Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 23, 2012 2:50 PM
>> *Subject:* Re: [Market-farming] rototillers

>>
>> I'd look for a used Howard.
>>
>> My new Mascio has been good, but I prob did not need the extra gear
>> change
>> option.
>>
>> If I could have afforded a Spader, well....
>>
>> Also, I have been using my tiller for over 7 years and I do not see soil
>> damage, but I use it carefully and I often use a single or double
>> ripper.
>>  I also use the BD preps.
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>> On 2012-10-23, at 8:41 AM, Beth Spaugh wrote:
>>
>>  Old tiller just really broke.  Yes, the current thinking is to not
>> disturb fungal mats, but reality is in our soil and with our stage of
>> weed
>> control, we sometimes need a tiller. We have moved to a lot of raised
>> beds
>> and the bed shaper needs fairly well disturbed soil to fill well.  I
>> will
>> be looking to move up a 6 foot one (42” was wonderful for our beds, but
>> the
>> wider ones go deeper and I’d like that when I do use it).
>>
>> I’d appreciate suggestions of what to avoid and what has been reliable.
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Beth Spaugh
>> Rehoboth Homestead, Peru NY
>> http://rhomestead.com      http://www.facebook.com/rhomestead

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming

--
Turnip Rock CSA
8628 County Hwy AA

New Auburn, WI 54757
715-237-2998
www.turniprock.com
turniprock.wordpress.com