Plastic Mulch Layer for Walk-Behind Tractor
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- This video shows Earth Tools owner Joel Dufour making a trial run with our prototype 4-foot plastic mulch layer attached to a walk-behind tractor (a BCS brand tractor in this case). We have offered a 3-foot plastic mulch layer for several years, but the 4-foot is something new, designed to be able to bury the edges of the plastic AT THE BASE of a 30" wide raised bed.
*The 3-foot layer is unable to do this, as there is just not enough plastic width...it only can flat-lay plastic on flat beds.*
The 4-foot will also flat-lay plastic on flat beds, leaving about 3 feet of plastic exposed. The basic use and adjustments of the 3-foot and 4-foot layers are the same. The tractor handlebars must be offset to operate these implements, since you don't want to walk on your plastic...the 4-foot layer requires the longest of the tractor handlebars to operate it, since it is so wide.
These tractor models would be: post-2008 BCS 852 & 853, BCS 745, 749, 945, 948, 750, and Grillo model G110.
www.earthtools.com
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro & Setup
02:08 Demonstration - Věda a technologie
Update; 25 Mar 2023
After owning this 4' mulch layer 3 years I have finally got it working to my satisfaction. I was able to install two 150 foot rows with the drip tape dispenser attachment. The rows are straight and the plastic is tight and secure. It certainly required allot of patience and adjusting. The biggest factor I've discovered is having the soil throughly tilled and not too wet.
Do you need to till the soil first before using this mulch applicator?
I realize this is one of your older video's, however, its still very relevant. I purchased a BCS 4' mulch layer. The BCS dealer included a roll of plastic. It will not unroll with out tearing. I'm a retried row crop farmer with decades of experience. setting up equipment, just on a larger scale. I now the machine will work if I have the right material. Are there different qualities of plastic mulch? To my surprise the selling dealer told me that he had never used this implement. Had I know this fact before the purchase I would have purchased from a dealer who could give me some practical suggestions. Live and learn.
Bought it. Tried it. Works in perfect conditions. After a lot of fussing.
Nice attachment
Nice build... Works well... I would like to build one...
Humm. This is really brilliant.
I wish we'd known about this when we bought the 36" in January. We're working on figuring that out today. The plastic keeps slipping out from under the laying wheels. We've moved the wheels and are headed out to try again. I'm hoping it works well enough on the 30" rows, though clearly the 4' is better suited to our system.
Yes, and since you posted this, we have traded you for the 4-foot layer! Hope it's working well for you.
Can the plastic mulch be used the next year without being removed?
Would it work with landscaping fabric
Maybe the "closers" could have changeable spades, and if they had outside corners canted down, and maybe a curl to the metal, it could lift-turn-dump the dirt? Hmm.
And the closers need to come in, aka, be 2D adjustable. We're totally envious about your guys' work yanno, just makin' stuff, all for the good cause of making more food!
Farm life is endless soil amendment.
2 things,,, maybe use a small disc for a closer,, and you need a way to lay drip tape at the same time.
but very good for a prototype, I am I'm pressed, how much will it cost and where can it be bought?
tim jones earth tools
Well done with a few adjustments should be great hopefully you got it sorted 🙂👍
Plz give me mulch layer make process sir
how much is 30" plastic mulch laying implement?
There is no such thing as 30" plastic mulch. Remember: the mulch size (3-foot, 4-foot, etc.) refers to the full width of the plastic mulch BEFORE the edges are buried! 4 to 10 inches of each edge of the mulch is buried, to hold the mulch down onto the soil. Therefore, If you want to cover a 30" bed, you have to use a minimum of 36" (3-foot) mulch...and is covering 30" RAISED beds, you have to use 4-foot (48") mulch, to account for the extra width needed to cover the "sides" of the raised bed. All prices are on our website: www.earthtools.com
Nice.. Do
There are plenty of reasons to till...everything is a trade-off.
Do you think you could add a drip tape spool to the implement?
+Alex Petz has to have drip tape or the plants can die of a lack of water
We have this option; see our website.
Prce
There is Zero Reason to Till = No Till
Wrong. Till to kill early weeds or you won't get a crop worth harvesting. If you are direct seeding with mechanical seeders, a fine surface till is necessary to get them to put down seed consistently. Further, these plastic mulch systems don't work well unless the soil is very loose, a tiller or power harrow are probably the only way to get good success with them. You also need to till in fertilizers, including green manures. But, if you are using plastic or corn starch mulch like this, then once in the early spring per season should be enough. Do it when it's colder, less bio activity in the spring, and plenty of time for the soils ecosystem to get re-established.
You show me a no till market gardener and I'll show you the guy with the lowest yields at the farmer's market. You can bank on that.
John Craftenworth
Wrong, turning over the soil brings up the dormant WEED SEEDS from prior seasons.
Don't till deeper than you need to plant your seed, typically 1-2 inches. The weeds will come up, whether you till or not. If you don't control the weeds, well one years weeds provides 7 years of seeds. No till might provide sustenance level at the large garden level, but sensible farming practices will provide a large surplus to feed people outside the farm family.
Says the person who has never farmed. Deep tillage (8-14") is needed to bring up the nutrients that have leached into deeper soil. It is also needed to be able to have a properly prepared seed bed. Try planting 500 to 1,000 acres of peanuts in a unplowed field. Won't work.
No till works for one season in some places :( :)
After you get done laying mulch you can hire some small midgets to drag the driptape underneath it. Those guys shouldn’t charge much and they certainly won’t complain…