Using the BCS Walk Behind Tractor to Establish Garden Beds in a field of Quackgrass
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- čas přidán 27. 03. 2016
- This video demonstrates how I use a BCS Tractor to shape my raised garden beds after the removal of an invasive cool-season perennial quackgrass.
If you're trying to establish a garden but have a lot of grass or weed pressure in the way, this video will also show you how I remove a large area of the quackgrass without lifting a shovel.
Music provided under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses)
Artist: audionautix.com/ - Jak na to + styl
Nice work... always like watching new gardens getting started!
glad to hear your commitment to soil health. I'd agree that all things considered your raised beds are pretty well no-till!
Thank you for the remarks +neb9000
great video
This was a great video. I live in East Africa and am getting one of these machines. My question is, how would I make the raised beds if I am starting with a grass lawn on hard clay. Would I rototill everything first, and then use the rotary implement to form the beds? I agree with no till, but starting with grass on hard compacted clay, I have to do something to get things started. Appreciate your help.
Hey Gentleman, thank for your videos. Walk behind tractor are definitely the way to go especially for the so called Global South. Could you please tel me what camera and mic gear you use? I am looking for some ting of good qualityand value to start a series on tropical gardening.Getting feedback from users out there would be a great help. Thanks very much and all the best.
Thank you for your kind remarks Titito. I totally agree with you..of course. Regarding the equipment that I use. I must say it really depends on the setting. I use a variety of equipment. I'll list them below with Amazon links to more information if you're interested.
I use the Sony Digital Voice Recorder: amzn.to/2cRFcXC
The quality of the GoPro HERO3+ is adequate for my needs: amzn.to/2cRF8Hn
When needing a second camera shoot or really high end, I use the Canon EOS 5D Mark II: amzn.to/2cfJsnK
I piece it all together using Adobe Premiere Pro CC on a Macbook Pro.
Let me know if that helps. Or if you have any specific questions. I wish you all the best in your shooting and story telling.
What is your spacing on the stakes to get rows and 30 in wide beds? Do you put one wheel on a string and follow that?
+Allen Ellis the rows are 18 inches and the beds are 30 inches. I places stakes at either end of the beds then engage the positraction on the tractor. I then sight along the tractor to a stake in a straight line. For the most part, the rows turn out pretty straight. I do a bit of hand work to clean up the edges. Each year I reset my rows with a stringline and shovel. I hope this helps.
Great video! Thanks for the helpful info bro. Were you afraid the the chickens would fly out of the inclosed perimeter? Because it wasn't roofed
+Trayy Robinson you ask a good question. The inclosed perimeter is energized and is mostly for keeping out the racoons and mink. Now with that said,the chickens stay put too. The occasional bird will fly out, the same one every time, but it's rare, and usually means they're out of water.
Ok thanks man..
about how long does it take to plow one acre?
Are you fully satisfied with the 853 diesel? I'm on the fence about going with the diesel. I've read up everything on earth tools, just wanted an honest opinion of any drawbacks if any.
Hello +Greg McLeroy, first of all, I am completely satisfied. It's a well made tool that will outlast my kids. I do think the other models are well made to the same great quality. The key questions to ask yourself is do you need the extra power and extra speed. The two primary drawbacks with this unit are the price (make sure you buy the key start for the diesel) and the noise. Beyond that, it's a beast and a beauty.
+The Gentleman Farmer What a great video! We just wanted to point out that the diesel does not necessarily provide "extra power and extra speed." The diesel Kohler KD440 is rated at around 10.3 HP, while the gasoline Honda GX390 (as featured on models 853 and 749) is rated at 13HP. The extra torque that the diesel engine provides means that the working torques are essentially equal between the gas and diesel versions. There are also no major tractor performance differences, except that the diesel can have better toque at low engine speeds, while the gasoline has better torque at higher engine speeds. The primary diesel advantages are within the engine alone: fuel economy, engine life, and biodiesel possibilities. Otherwise, the gasoline Honda engines are quite impressive and a leader within the industry. Thanks again, Gentleman Farmer, for the WONDERFUL video!
@Kuv Koj We do not know of a company that produces a better tiller or small tractor than BCS.
Great video. May I ask what size wheels you are using and how much space there is between them?
I'm doing this right now and I'm having some trouble making straight beds, even when I use ropes and stakes. I put wheel spacers on my 2 wheel tractor because this is advised by the distributor of the rotary plow. They say you cant use the plow without these. I have a feeling, however, that these spacers are the reason I'm having trouble keeping straight. The wheels on my machine are alot wider than what you are using.
Hey, Ruben00021: I can relate to your trouble. The soil will ultimately dictate how straight you are able to run. Dry, coarse soil is more difficult to manage and maintain a straight line. Some of my beds have slight bends in them as I was unable to follow the line each and every time. My second season, (this one) I was able to go in and straighten the rows by hand when turning under my cover crop.
My advice is to run the machine in it's lowest gear and feather the hand brakes to hold your line. Also, make sure the rotary plow is spun up to max speed and set its depth shallow, then make two passes, one in each direction. When you veer off course, just ride it out and get back on course. You'll be alright in the years ahead.
Regarding the specs of my setup, I did not opt to add the wheel extensions. The wheelbase is the standard 27" and their dimensions are 5”x12”x22” tall
Great, thanks alot for the super quick answer! :-)
Going shallow at first
I wonder if tilling first then covering with plastic would be any better?
Or, does covering first kill the roots better?
Re-tarping after tilling can help. if you till a month or two before planting, definitely put the tarp back on or else there can be thousands of weeds re-growing soon. The soil is like a seed bank. Some weed seeds can stay dormant for 10-20 years. The tiller brings those back up to the surface and the weed clock starts ticking as soon as there is barren soil. Tarps give your plants a head start, (especially if you transplant), but always have a plan to cover the barren soil with something or else the weeds will come back sooner than you want. They are tenacious.
Recently had a tarp over the grass for 8 months (No-Dig) and took it off to plant sunflower seeds. Looked great... However, within a month, there were thousands of weeds regrowing. That was even without tilling and bringing banked seeds back up, so I find tarps are a temporary step to help get things started. Next time I think I will rollback the tarp only as needed when I can plant that day and have a plan to immediately cover any remaining barren soil with some kind of mulch layer like cardboard, chopped leaves, wood chips, straw, (not hay with seeds).
Hi.
I've enjoyed your video here; nice job. Would you tell me the camera setup you are using?
thnx, m
Hello +Herman Boing thank you for your interest in what I am doing here on the property. I really appreciate your kind remarks. Regarding your equipment question here, my standard two-camera set up includes a Canon 5D Mark II and a GoPro Hero3. However, this particular video includes the GoPro and my Galaxy Note4. I hope that helps out. Kind regards.
+The Gentleman Farmer
Thanks for the quick reply. I look forward to trying out the setup. Keep up the good work!
one more thing that comes to mind Herman Boing, high quality audio is vital. Get yourself an auxiliary microphone like the one I use: amzn.to/1T3qNEz and the MP3 recorder: amzn.to/1QXk9xx They will make a world of difference for the quality of your videos.
+The Gentleman Farmer
Thanks for the help!
Good video. I'm curious if the approach of tarping, tilling and planting a cover crop really killed the quackgrass rhizome or if it persisted. It's been over a year since this video. Can you update on what worked and what didn't? I'm facing a similar plot that is overrun with quackgrass. Thank you.
I guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account?
I stupidly forgot the login password. I appreciate any help you can give me.
@Kyree Forest instablaster ;)
@Jaziel Tripp thanks for your reply. I found the site on google and I'm in the hacking process atm.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Jaziel Tripp It worked and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much you saved my ass!
@Kyree Forest no problem xD
I'm also at thus stage of my garden. How are you making sure your rows are straight and what are you stayed representing? Edges of the pathways??
Hey +Justin Stuelke, great question. Here's what I do. First I mark out my rows with wooden stakes starting at the bottom of the garden working my way up along each edge. The beds are 30" and the paths are 18". I can then tie a string from one side of the bed to the other and see that my rows are straight. If they are not, I can make minor tweaks to the stakes.
After the rows are all laid out, I place the wheel of the tractor on the edge of the bed and engage the axel lock so that both wheels roll at the same speed throughout each pass. By engaging the lock it disengages the differential on the tractor. This is key and helps a great deal when running the tractor in a straight line. I hope this helps.
So in between the stake are the pathways or the beds??
+Justin Stuelke in between the stakes are both the beds and the pathways. But you run the rotary plow down the pathway in between the beds.
can you tell me the name of the knot you did at 6:24? I would love to know it :)
Hey +Rafael Dias, great question. It's actually a hitch and is known as a Taut-line Hitch. Great way to tighten a line.
thanks!
That knot just made my day! When I googled how to tie it, the midshipmen's knot was recommended over the taut-line, FWIW. Both are awesome knots, though. Thanks!!!
Great video, how did the BCS work out building your swales?
Do you have any video of it?
Love your videos!
Thank you for your kind remarks dwills135. Unfortunately, I don't have any footage of the process I used when making the swales. But I will tell you this, I hand dug 2 of 4 swales using a shovel. The other two I used the rotary plow implement. WOW! What a difference. I'll be honest, the BCS is a bull ride as it can throw you around a bit. But the effort and time using this amazing tool is drastic and effective. I will never hand dig swales again.
Thanks for the reply and information. I'm seriously thinking about getting a BCS as I have garden beds to create and swales too!
I wonder if the swivel rotary plow might be more stable because of the extra weight?
Can I ask what pattern you use when creating a brand new garden bed, do you just plow the whole thing one side to the other, then redo the paths?
Best Regards
Dave
I know it's tough to see how this was done in the video, I tried to provide some context with text on screen. But let me try and describe it a bit better here. I don't pivot the rotary plow ever. I merely make two passes down each path; one in each direction. This effectively cuts a deeper path whilst tossing top soil on both adjacent beds. I don't run the BCS over the beds at all and I don't till the soil as I am working on a no-till garden bed.
As a final step, I sow cover crops in both the paths and the beds. As I scythe the beds, I continually place more mulch in the beds. The cover crop in the beds is White Clover and takes a lot of foot traffic. Does this help?
Here's a link to a video that shows how I use the Scythe vs the BCS: czcams.com/video/mNzF2vBN36c/video.html
Yes that helps a lot.
I'm really talking about turning a grassed area into a garden, I do want to practice no-till, but i think I'd like to plow the whole thing one time, as the soil is quite compacted.
I like your method with the cover crops too and I'll check out the link.
Thanks again!
I would advise you to avoid tilling. You only create compaction further down. Depending on the type of grass, you might also push the rhizomes deeper, making it more difficult to eradicate later on. Use the black plastic cover method now until spring and you will be amazed. Also, the cover crops will loosen the soil over time as fertility builds with microbial life. Tilling will set you back.
If you really want to open the soil, cover with plastic and in the spring as soon as the soil is workable, double dig the beds. It's a lot of work but is a one-time effort.
Best,
John
Where does one rent or hire one of those marvelous machines?
camofrog 0
Мне кажется здесь бы справился на отлично и простой плуг ) Видео интересное, лайк ! )
what model is this and many hp?
This may be a dumb question, but do the chickens eat the worms out of the soil?
+Rob Brown not a stupid question. Yes, chickens eat worms. But good healthy soil has more worms than chickens can access. If left in place, chickens will denud the soil. Look forward to a discussion about this topic in the future.
do the chickens eat the worms ? i know some can and that would seem counterproductive to me . but maybe the chicken poop and them eating weed seeds is better then the small loss of earth worms ?
+Paul Pithers, you bring up a great point! The chickens aren't left in the area long enough to impact the worm population. I consider my chickens as amazing soil producers primarily. The eggs they produce are a bonus.
How do you like using that BCS over a regular 4 wheeler? I have a kubota, a bit large for my operation, was thinking BCS. Looks like it takes an effort at then end rows.
The BCS is the way to go at this scale. In fact, it's ideal for any market garden with beds 30" wide. I couldn't imagine using a standard tractor for anything five acres or less.
+motocephalic the BCS does require some effort to maneuver, especially when using certain implements like the rotary plow. What you are seeing me do at the end of each row is maneuver the tractor around and in-between two wooden stakes I used to mark each bed. In hindsight, I would have been better off pounding the stakes further into the ground. Otherwise, the tractor is much easier to turn.
Ballpark estimate $$ for a BCS estimate like that?
+TACTICAL DAIRYMAN the best place to start is www.earthtoolsbcs.com/. The BCS is all about options. Everything from disel and gasoline engines to key starts. The website is very good at explaining all the models and implements. There is a solid used market out there too. Check Craigslist.org in your area.
+TACTICAL DAIRYMAN another thing to consider is your main purpose for the machine. Some implements require more power or faster overall drive speed. For example, will you need it for mowing? Or are you mostly looking to use it in the garden. Just keep this in mind as you research this large purchase. Please let me know if you have another other specific questions.
BCS 853 diesel and Berta single rotary plow is roughly $6600. You can take $1300 off if you go with a manual start gasoline powered model.
I hear ya brother. The diesel is noisy but nearly indestructible. Do you have any experience with the gasoline version? Does is have enough power to run the mower implements?
The Gentleman Farmer I own the 853 with the 13 hp Honda gas burner. I was told by my dealer that at higher rpm, the gas engine has a little more torque than the diesel. I have the 26 in. berta flail mower and the 28 in. Bellon rotary brush cutter. It has plenty of power to run both attachments. The rotary cutter will go through 2-3 in. saplings like a hot knife through butter while barely taxing the engine at all.
In your opinion, do you think that the swivel version of the rotary plow it's worth the extra money. This will be my next implement purchase and I'm trying to decide between the two. Thanks.
why are you afraid to break fresh soil with it
Quackgrass spreads by root division and rhizomes.
Chopping it up would allow and encourage it to create new plants.
Smothering it for several months as he did was not completely killing it, but it sure pissed it off.
walk-behind tractor
That looks great! Too bad its got toxic chemicals in it from the pressure treated hold downs.
What a great way to start eating healthy!
Have you ever used pigs to plow up a garden bed before planting it? I've read that pigs are excellent diggers and will eat any leftover weed roots left in the ground if given some encouragement.
That's not a raised bed, on the farm I grew up on that is called furrowing a hill. Which you need for root plants like potatoes. Raised beds are usually a box 18"-24" tall and 13-18' long. Working on mine now as specialty beds with a ramp to get the tiller in it.
Whatever
That looks great! Too bad its got toxic chemicals in it from the pressure treated hold downs. Gets in soil, worms, the. Chickens. Your made everything living toxic with your new garden.
What a great way to start eating healthy?