That’s it–I’m converted. Everything’s getting planted farther apart from now on.
I used to use my tiller only for tilling. Since it was always breaking down, I didn’t try to use it for anything other than initial soil prep in the spring. I’d mow down weeds, spread some compost, and run the tiller over it a few times. Then I’d plant the seeds (by hand, until I got an Earthway seeder) or transplant seedlings, and weed with a hoe or a high wheel cultivator (a “wheel hoe,” to you old timers). Generally, I’d use the wheel hoe to run down the path between the rows and use a stirrup hoe between plants.
But yesterday, I tried weeding with the tiller, and I’m blown away at how fast it is. There’s a large patch where I planted a few rows of bush beans three weeks ago, but until last night, I hadn’t been back to plant anything else. Consequently, the whole area was covered with little sprigs of grass a couple inches high. Rather than trying to clear it all by hand or re-tilling the whole plot, I dropped the draw bar down almost all the way, so it the tiller would only go a couple inches deep. Then I put the tiller in fast gear and just ran back and forth over the plot, skimming the surface until the whole thing was done. It did a beautiful job, and did in probably less than 15 minutes what would have taken me two or three exhausting hours to do by hand.
Feeling inspired, I decided to push the envelope. There were couple rows of beans planted unusually far apart–I think I did that to remind myself where a different variety starts. The tiller just barely fit between the two rows. I ran the tiller down the path in probably a minute or less, and completely weeded in one pass an area about 2′ wide by 60′ long.
Then I put the furrower attachment on it and did the same thing between the rows of potatoes. The grass there was more mature, so it took several passes on each path, but it was still enormously easier than doing it by hand. I looked over what I had done. I had finished a full-day job about an hour or less. The sun was still high in the sky. I had time to get more stuff done!
I went out front to the community garden and looked at six abandoned plots that had been turned back over to me. The foxtail was belly high. I mowed it down with a scythe. As I was doing so, I found that maybe 75 square feet of the area was covered with volunteer tomatillos! I let those stand and finished off the grass. I loaded the resulting hay into my truck, planning to use it as chicken bedding. Then I ran a lawnmower over the stubble to prepare the plot for tilling. I mowed a few other community garden plots that hadn’t been planted yet, and tilled a couple of them. Then I returned to the back yard, to the plot with the beans where I had used the tiller for weeding. Just before it got dark, I planted six rows of red beets there and seven rows of chioggia beets–about 360′ and 420′ respectively. And I planted them far enough apart to run the tiller between them. That’s probably way more beets than I’ll be able to sell at the farmers markets, but the seed was already a year old. I needed to use it up. Maybe Greener Grocer will be interested if I have leftovers. Or I’ll can them and eat beets for the next three years. My mom likes beets. Maybe she’ll get some canned ones for Christmas this year. Maybe everyone will.
We got the truck back last night. It was $330, so it’s just as well that I didn’t go to the processor this week. While it was at the garage, Mayda and I went and looked at another truck that someone in the neighborhood has had in their front yard with a sign on it. It’s exactly what I’d like to have–an extend cab F-250 4×4 with a full size bed. No idea whether it’s gas or diesel. They want $1800. I don’t happen to have $1800, but finding something close to that and making an offer was Plan B if the truck repairs turned out to be more than that. I feel fortunate to have gotten the truck back as quickly and cheaply as we did.
Of course, this means it’s time for me to catch up on backlogged work. I need to buy feed and bedding, pick up several loads of pallet wood, and build a new broiler house…today. New chicks arrive tomorrow, and then I’ve got a market tomorrow afternoon.
