What Implements Should I Be Looking For?

[Urbish]

So we moved this past summer and have a huge front yard. I'd like to screw around with my H, B, and/or Cub by planting some stuff this spring (coupled with having less to mow). I am no farmer and need some advice.

As far as what to plant, I was thinking roughly 1/4 acre of sweet corn, 1/8 acre of pumpkins, and a big ring of sunflowers around the whole thing. The only implements I have are a snow plow and Woods 59 for my mower for my Cub (no fast hitch). This will be too big of a site to till up with my little rototiller. The yard was a hay field for many years, and has been lawn for about the last 25. There is 6" or so of sod/topsoil with coarse sand and gravel underneath.

What should I be looking out for in terms of implements? I was thinking about a towed moldboard plow and a disc for the H, and a manual operation push planter.

[Slim140]

With that much corn it would be nice to find a corn planter to fit the Cub! Of course you will need to find some cultivators for the Cub to list your rows and cultivate with until the plants get to big.

[Bigdog]

Consider a 193 plow and perhaps a disk for the cub. Great for working a garden of that size.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Don't plant that much corn, at once! Stagger by time or maturity dates, to spread it out, across the summer. Even then,it's too much corn, unless you're selling it, or feeding a small army!
Ed

[Urbish]

Don't plant that much corn, at once! Stagger by time or maturity dates, to spread it out, across the summer. Even then,it's too much corn, unless you're selling it, or feeding a small army!
Ed

Oh yes, was going to plant a few rows every week and a half or so. Was planning to figure that out once I plot what I want to do.

[Eugene]

I suggest small plots for each vegetable. As Ed wrote, that's a lot of produce.

I plant 5 or 6 hills of icebox sized watermelon and muskmelon every year. When the fruit ripen, it's more than the family can eat. I wind up giving away a lot of the harvest.

Plant other types of vegetables.

Get a soil test now. You can pick up packages at your local Univ. Extension office.

Check your Univ. AG extension, on line. They will have suggestions for vegetable types and vegetable brand names that grow well in your area.

You will need some type of implement to turn over the soil for at least the first year.

Edit: If you have never planted corn before, study up on the planting depth and number of adjacent rows to successfully pollinate.

[Urbish]

Will do. Thanks guys.

[Eugene]

I was thinking about a manual operation push planter.

If you plant small vegetable plots, you can easily lay out the rows, sow seed, and cover up by hand.

I have three different hoes. Typical flat face, and two with the working end coming to a point. The pointy end hoes work great for laying out rows.

What you might do for the first year, is hire some one with tractor powered tiller to till up the garden plot.

[SONNY]

If plowing up sod,---first year wont produce much.--sod is best plowed under in fall so it can rot down during winter.---if old hay grass comes back up, it can be a nightmare, unless you dump on the chems.
I have moldboard plowed sod in spring then hit it with a BIG tiller several times over and had good luck,--- except for weeds! good luck on your venture!!! thanks; sonny

[Eugene]

unless you dump on the chems.

I was going to suggest a herbicide burn down in early fall. Killing existing grass and weeds and their roots. Reason, a lot of folks protest chemicals on their garden.

Next problem you may encounter is that turning over the soil brings up weed and grass seed. Which will germinate.