Need advice on how to cultivate

[Ben B]

Hello again everyone. As usual, I have a question.

How do you set up a garden to be able to cultivate it with a cub? I have a full set of cultivators but have never really used them because our garden row spacing has always come out wrong. No one ever told me or showed me how. Obviously I’m just no good at figuring out how to set up the cub to do it because all my attempts have been incorrect.

I’m planning on doing a big garden this year, and cultivating it would sure beat hoeing it! Especially when I have a good set of cultivators, but I’m just too ignorant to figure it out. Knowing me, I’m probably over thinking it.

[tmays]

Depends on your cultivator setup. Also depends on what you want to plant. Give us an idea of what you’re planting and we can better advise you. The easiest way to go is to use 40” rows and set your tire width to 40”. That way when you plant(if you have a planter) you can just use your previous track for your next row. Then set your cultivators up. While plants are young, a set of shields will help with getting close to the plants. As your crop grows, you’ll adjust the sweeps next to the plants out some as the crop dictates. Use the cub-144 manual here on the forum to set up the cultivators. Quite a few combinations available on tools for the toolbars

[Eugene]

How big is the intended large garden?

On line, state university extension service for suggested row and plant spacing for vegetables.

My thoughts. Assuming assorted vegetables. Unless you are planting an acre or two of the same vegetable, cultivators are probably not worth effort. Hoeing, walk behind tiller.

Next thought. Contact a neighbor who truck farms.

[welderrx]

Take a look at some videos on U Tube about cultivating with Cubs, If you have the room its the way to go. In tight quarters I use my David Bradley or My Bolens Power-Ho 2 wheeler's, at my old house it was a tight small garden and I used my David Bradley Roto Spader front tine tiller narrowed down to one set of tines, for the big areas I use My Allis C , I never had a set for my Cub as I had plenty of other options, but I might get a set eventually, you can never have too many attachments. TJ

[Mac AR]

Plant your rows anywhere from 36 to 40 inches apart. Use a string line to set them straight. Then, after your plants are up, mount your cultivators. I have a #144 cultivator with #1 equipment. The front 2 shanks have 6" sweeps, the middle have 8". The rear gang has 2 10" sweeps on it. After you've mounted them, drive down to the garden with the Cub, and take along a Crescent wrench and a hammer (for those d@mned wedge-bolts!). Set your front gangs so the shovels don't cover up the plants, but bury the weeds (I use half-sweeps next to the row); not too close to the row but close enough to throw a little dirt on the plants. The rear sweeps need to cut out the wheel tracks. There should be un-plowed strips between shovels, so adjust them so they just do overlap. This sounds much more complicated than it really is, so trust your eye and you'll be just fine.

It will be extremely helpful if you'll check out the manual section on this site. I went as far as printing a copy of the #144 cultivator manual and keep it in the shop (along with a lot of other manuals) so I can make adjustments as needed. But, the above set-up works pretty well for me, and might be a good place for you to start. Remember, keep it simple and follow the book. Good luck!

Mac