TanksHill...Roll on!!

[Farmfresh]

Us too.

 

[TanksHill]

So, I started a new garden project.

My FIL has been talking about this great rotatiller that my sil had. It belonged to her x and it was at FIL in storage. She is now on the ranch and a renter in her hose so no one is using it.

After months of asking dh to pick it up he brought it last week. It's a honking Troy Bilt rear time, with a Honda motor. It's been stored for a couple of years but started on the first pull. We straightened out a bit of metal and pulled a ton of baling twine off the blades. Now it works like a charm.

I used it the other day to rototill the lawn where the meat birds were residing. Mix in all the poop.

Today I tilled the far end of my yard. The kids used to have a trampoline out there but it broke. We dismantled it last weekend. Now its just one big open space. I couldn't resist.

I tilled the heck out of it today. Back and forth back and forth. My yard has been dry and crusty forever but the soil looks great.

The space is about 20 x 30 ft. My goal is to get the soil amended and plant a huge end of summer fall planting.

the problem.

Gophers. Nothing new there.

So this is what I am thinking. I am going to kinda do the "double diggin" style of garden but before I pile up the soil I am going to run some 2 foot wide chicken wire down the row. Why 2 foot?? Because that's what I have.

Then leave a 2 foot space as my walkway between rows. More wire more digging etc... I think I should be able to fit in 8 to 10 rows.

I am super excited about have a new area to plant.

This is after the first tilling. Then I lowered the blades and went again.

I learned after the second tilling the dirt was so soft I walked in the tire tracks. This actually formed little neat rows.

Tomorrow I need to get some compost and manure.

g

 

[Holachicka]

Score!! I am so jealous! Have you tried those sonic gopher chasers yet? I had a horrible problem with gophers last year, and in my three sisters garden this year I put one in... Working great! It sounds like an agressive gopher and apparently they avoid it. Anyways, it takes 2 or 3 d batteries and they last forever... meaning our first set lasted well over a year and were still going when I put it out this year, but I didn't want it to run out and me not know about it so I put new ones in.

 

[TanksHill]

So how many sq feet does the sonic gopher cover??? Wow, I am very interested. I am going to google it.

thanks.

g

 

[TanksHill]

So does anyone remember that free rare black chick I got from McMurray a while back. It came with my Cornish X order.

Well it started crowing yesterday.

What the heck am I going to to with a midget black rooster?

g

 

[Javamama]

Process it?

I'm just laughing because I had to get rid of our midget rooster this week. Seriously though - doesn't that pipsqueak crowing just crack you up?


...and that's a really nice garden space!

 

[Farmfresh]

Sounds like soup to me.

WOW! I just love the tiller what a nice job it is doing for you as well.

 

[framing fowl]

I bet it smelled really good when you were tilling. I love fresh turned earth!

 

[FarmerJamie]

So how many sq feet does the sonic gopher cover??? Wow, I am very interested. I am going to google it.

thanks.

g

Get rid of Gophers

Don't laugh, I was going to suggest the chewing gum...looks like some good advice.

Great on the tiller and the job you did. That looks like a older version of the one I have. I love the smell of freshly tilled soil. I think of it as therapy.

 

[TanksHill]

I am pooped. Today was a very busy, tiring and kinda hot dirty day. But I loved every minute of it.

Headed out to Bonsall/ Fallbrook area about 20 minutes away. Picked up a truck load of composted horse poop. Turns out the place is right off the main road. A horse riding arena and stable place tucked into the hills. He had a pile the size of a house. Turns it all the time. The stuff I got today was from last fall. And it's all FREE!!!!

Got home. Shoveled and raked out the truck. All over the new garden bed. The rototilled the plot again.

Then the hard part began. I raked back the 10 inches of new soft dirt. Smoothed the ground and then laid my chicken wire down. Then I shoveled the dirt back.

I made it to row 3.

I turned the rows opposite of what I had originally planned. I wanted them to run east to west. So I have 3 so far that are about 20 ft long.

They need a good soaking.

I am thinking about putting down brown paper bags in between the rows. Maybe some extra pavers around the perimeter.

Who knows I am kinda making it up as I go along.



g