Howdy Folks,
Well I’m here on my little farm. I have been planting and working my pumpkin patch and doing all the late year hurrying to get food. A procrastinator like me does. But, that’s not what we’re gonna talk about today! Today, is about all about the tricks that i have learned to save time and cut down on those aches and pains of planting a working class garden!
Okay so I’m not gonna write stuff the way it’s done in English class. You’re gonna find misspelled words and typos so if that’s your thing. Hey buddy come read my blog I need the readership, and maybe you can teach an old redneck a thing or two. Glad your critics are here I’m a Christian so you will here references to my guy my bestiemy lord and savior Jesus Christ. If that’s an issue for you and really pissess you off please continue to be a part of this world maybe you can find something that makes you happier. I’m not here for anything other than getting stuff out of my head and off of my mind.
I’m sharing some of the things it has taken me years to acquire. these are maybe things your already familiar with, or they could be brand new to you. Either way i would like it if you give me feed back on topics and my writing style. i don’t come from any kind of background that creative writing ever was a part of unless writing service reports counts.
Planting isn’t easy, heck it’s down right hard. It will hurt you back. Causes pains in your knees and elbows. Dries out your hands and while you’re down near the ground in your perfectly prepped soil, bam Wyoming wind door blows it right back into your eyes. So planting F’ing sucks most times.
I have some knowledge of this even recent as days ago. Heck, today I was on my hands and knees planting fall carrots and saying a prayers over them row by row. So, yes it sucks because I knew how to do it better yet didn’t do the better things until today.
Soil Prep
So six inch spacing is normal for allot of garden crops. Most pitch forks have a spacing that will work out around 5-6″ spacing. You need an old garden hose and some sharp scissors, or for you edged weapon fans a regular old pocket knife will get you through. Slide the hose all the way up a tine on the fork. Cut the hose off about 4-5″ longer than the tine. Yes you have to do it one tine at a time because they’re different shapes and lengths. I cut mine at a slight slope not sure if it does anything but it makes it easier to cut. Then your set.
Next get a peice of 1/2 inch to 2 inch pvc pipe for a guide. Anything straight and sturdy with not much weight will work for this item. But i find that i do best with something round like a 2″ PVC pipe. i can put the edge of the pitch fork against it and fallow along the edge keeping my rows straight. I lay my beds out in 10 foot lengths with about a 1 foot space between each bed set. this helps with weeding and accessing different beds.
If you start slightly to the middle you will never run over the edge. Just keep moving the guide down the bed adjusting for the edge shape as you move.
Next, making the grooves to plant in. Take your pitchfork with the hose on the tines that are set apart to match seed spacing on the back of the package. I’ve found that I usually end up using the middle and outer tines on almost everything. This ends up being around a 5 &1/2 inch spacing and has worked great for our gardens. No bending down to lay out rows no strig lines just a piece of pvc pipe an old pitchfork and busted hose equals happy knees and back!
Planting
If you have ever had a garden than you know how tiny and light some of these seeds are. plus how much time yo spend getting the right seed in the right spot per the package. Place 2-3 seed in a hole 1/4 inch deep with a 2 inch spacing. Easy right, not hardly. So lets build a planter to get up off the ground and start enjoying planting.
Get a piece of 1/2″ pvc cut a slight bevel on one side about 1/2″ slope. Then the other side about a 2″ slope making a 2″ spade shape at the bottom. My planter is about 5′ long adjust to your size and comfort. Then just plant 3 rows at a time. Make sets of six rows at a time and you planting standing up, no knee pads, no expensive part to buy. No serious machinery needed. Less pain and maybe more of you will get a garden growing. you can make all of these tools with simple tools, i used a grinder and a vibratory saw to make mine, but i have in the past cut them with a hand saw. so just about anything can get it done.
materials list:
- Old hose- 5/8 usually fits the tines best
- Pitchfork- old or new doesn’t matter
- PVC pipe- 1/2″ for planter 2″ for guide
- tools yo have for cutting hose and pvc