Anyone double dig their garden with a backhoe?

Silvercreek Farmer · #1 11/03/10, 09:25 AM

Saw this video

Not too exciting, but it sure looked easier than doing it by hand!

Windy in Kansas · #2 11/03/10, 10:48 AM

No, but I have used a 3 point mounted post hole auger. I don't dig deep with it. It pulls up very sandy soil with low organic matter in it to the surface where I can then mix it with the soil of higher organic matter.

I used to run the paper from old library books and magazines through a chipper/shredder in order to benefit the soil rather than hauling them to a landfill after book sales. These were unsold books that no one would pay $1 per bag for.

It was very time consuming to rip off covers and shred a few pages at a time so I stopped the practice even before I left library employment. It was a good soil builder though and while mindful of lead in inks I was never too concerned.

hotzcatz · #3 11/03/10, 01:01 PM

The backhoe is one of my favorite gardening tools! I put the bigger bucket on it and made a garden patch last year. It's about 40' x 80' and I'll make another patch about the same size to add to it this year. The ground was fallow for about six or seven years and had been covered with a really tall grass called "guinea grass". I used the backhoe to grub up the grass and then dug into the soil to loosen it. That also brought up assorted rocks, so those were tossed out of the field. Had I been able to throw rocks further, I would have made a wider garden patch. Now we have a small trailer to pull behind the lawn tractor so I'll be able to put the rocks in the trailer and haul them away somewhere.

It's a Ford 5500 tractor with backhoe and front loader on it. Sort of similar to a Case D80 so it is a bit large for gardening work, but it's the only backhoe I have.

Paquebot · #4 11/03/10, 03:23 PM

I know a guy in Canada who did something like that. However, he was dealing primarily with sand and made trenches for composting. He had a deal with stores, restaurants, and fish processors to get all of their waste. When the trenches were full, he'd backfill and make more trenches alongside the previous ones.

Martin

ceresone · #5 11/04/10, 05:48 AM

I hired a backhoe one year, it was a small John Deere. The garden was 16'X 25'.
I thought it would really help--but I couldnt see that it did.

Fae · #6 11/04/10, 06:12 AM

It might be quicker but I would worry about compacting the soil. I know using a rototiller will cause hardpan.

Wisconsin Ann · #7 11/04/10, 07:44 AM

I'd do that if possible, I think. Good way to start a brand new garden. Probably easy to add stuff like sand, or manures, or leaves....

clay soil here.

Just comes up in large lumps of...clay. The only thing I've found that works for turning the pasture or hayfield into garden is 1)dump a LOT of rabbit and chicken manure on the plot; 2)plow; 3)till with the 5' tiller; 4)add more manure; 5)till again; repeat for 2 years.

I wonder if I couldn't dig a new plot...5' deep. Then mix the clay and soil with sand, woodchips, leaves (we have a LOT of leaves right now), and manure. Then put a layer of gravel in the bottom of plot (for drainage) and plop it all back into the hole.... Make a giant flower pot.

sweetbabyjane · #8 11/04/10, 11:37 AM

Hey Wisconsin Ann,

It would be easier to bring in a semi-truckload of mushroom compost and just dump it on the ground. We have rock hard clay and hematite rock here in Georgia. Two semi-truckloads later we have a nice garden.

Life if too short and time is too precious to spend years before you can grow a decent garden.

Just what worked for us,
SBJ

js2743 · #9 11/04/10, 12:09 PM

i will stick with my turning plows much faster and does a much better job.

AnnieinBC · #10 11/04/10, 12:28 PM

My husband has used his bucket on his excavator to "till" our largest garden....works great and much easier than his having to use the rototiller.

We have clay soil here and amend it with lots of composted manure, leaves etc....

LonelyNorthwind · #11 11/04/10, 12:53 PM

No, but a backhoe makes a pretty good snow plow.

Anyone double dig their garden with a backhoe? - Homesteading Questions

Ken Scharabok · #12 11/04/10, 01:14 PM

I had a friend in Golden, CO who bought a new house in a subdivision. The builders had scraped off all of the top soil to sell. For their garden spot they rented a two-man auger for the weekend and the drilled holes down, if I recall, about 18". These were backfilled with decent soil, compost and some worms. After several years they had covered a good bit of the garden with the auger.

I have a friend in IN who spreads turkey litter. On his garden he just backs up the truck and lets it spray until it is several inches thick, then tototills. He said you don't want to do this on a day when your house is downwind.

Wisconsin Ann · #13 11/08/10, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetbabyjane

Hey Wisconsin Ann,

It would be easier to bring in a semi-truckload of mushroom compost and just dump it on the ground. We have rock hard clay and hematite rock here in Georgia. Two semi-truckloads later we have a nice garden.

Life if too short and time is too precious to spend years before you can grow a decent garden.

Just what worked for us,
SBJ

Mushroom compost, eh? Thanks! I believe that's quite possible.

Over the last couple of years the area for the garden proper has had the manure tilled in (after 1 year of fallow) and it's now super fertile, although it's still quite heavy soil. The rest of the "pasture" is doing a lot better, but now it's time for it to actually be PRODUCTIVE land.

Paquebot · #14 11/08/10, 01:16 PM

Finding spent mushroom compost in Wisconsin could be a problem. There's only one large commercial grower and that's in Burlington. There was one started near Cottage Grove some years ago and local farmers were made to believe that they would be getting some really good stuff back for their fields. They soon learned what "spent" meant. When the mushrooms were done with it, it was almost totally spent. And, it was alkaline as well. Venture failed after only a few years.

Martin

Wisconsin Ann · #15 11/09/10, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paquebot

Finding spent mushroom compost in Wisconsin could be a problem. There's only one large commercial grower and that's in Burlington. There was one started near Cottage Grove some years ago and local farmers were made to believe that they would be getting some really good stuff back for their fields. They soon learned what "spent" meant. When the mushrooms were done with it, it was almost totally spent. And, it was alkaline as well. Venture failed after only a few years.

Martin

ah

Well, alkaline is something I do NOT need, although as I recall the stuff is good to lighten soil. Reckon I'll just keep using the chicken litter and bunny poo

That reminds me...anyone need some rabbits?

I seem to have a great plenty right now.

fantasymaker · #16 11/09/10, 06:51 PM

I think I see the problem.
He is useing much to small a hoe.
I like mine 30 foot reach and 4 feet of digging depth on each bite.
It looks like this http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...429,r:10,s:116