Year two!
The garden has been tilled and things are being planted as I type... at least I think so. Tanis planted the onions, zucchini, cucumbers, radishes for Seed's Farmer's Market booth and some of the peas about a week back. We have two tomato plants, but we're hoping to get a couple more here soon.
Today Beth and Kerri came over and helped finish up the planting. Seems like every year (all two of them) we're planting later than we had liked, but I think we're still ahead of last years planting..*quick check at last years post to see when we planted* good gravy we're only two days ahead of last year!! How do ya like that!? I'm personally a little bummed. I blame the weather! Stupid rain, then more rain, then snow, and then even more rain!
anywhoo... mad props and whatnot to Beth and Kerri!
A word from the Mrs:
This morning Kerri and Beth came over and really got the rest of the garden planted! Together we put in another row of peas, carrots, three rows of corn, a row of zucchinis, and planted the green beans! The garden is really ramping up! The little girls did great playing in the yard and Dylan was happy in the exersaucer most of the time. It's always a little more tricky with kids but today was just perfect!
So...now that the garden is mostly planted the next step is making sure it gets watered and weeded. Kerri and Beth planning to come back next Wednesday at 10am and Kerri is coming back with Deana in the evening. I will be gone Sunday afternoon-Tuesday night, but will be back to help on Wednesday. If you want to come over and do some weeding there is definitely work to be done now. The planted rows will need a little time to get established but the strawberries need weeding and also an area between the strawberries and tree. We can plant there once it's weeded. If you have any extra pots sitting around that you'd like to share, we could use them for herbs. Scott got dill, basil, mint, maybe some others that we can plant. I need to get more potting soil...i should be making a list for myself :o)
back to me:
On a posting note I'll do my best to keep this blog updated with the latest from the garden. If I had a better grasp on technology and mass quantities of time on my hands I'd create a garden cam but...that's not going to happen. Instead please enjoy the time-lapse header...which is grossly out of date...sigh...
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
New member of the family!
So I wanted to introduce the newest member of the family…no not Dylan, everyone knows him.
<- Pic of her to follow shortly ->
This is Bernice. She’s a 6.0 hp Troy Bilt Super Bronco tiller (whew). For people who want the gist, she makes the garden pretty and the dirt soft all while burying the weeds in a shallow grave.
A more detailed spec of her:
• Counter-rotating tines for easy use and greater control
• Cast-iron transmission with bronze gear drive
• 1 forward speed with power reverse
• 16" tilling width
• 10" tine diameter
• Adjustable tilling depth up to 6"
• Just One Hand operation
• 12" ag tires for easier manueverability
• Limited lifetime warranty
• 208cc Troy-Bilt engine (lies! It’s a Tecumseh engine.)
<- Insert Tim Allen grunting here ->
The one hand operation is a bit of a stretch, at least when your garden has a fair amount of weeds in it, which ours did. I was able to operate her with one hand but that was after the garden had been run through a couple of times. So yeah, sure, if you’re dirt is loose and sans-weeds then yes you can do it one handed, but not before then.
We actually got her a couple weeks ago and I should have taken a picture of her when she was brand new clean but I forgot. Now she’s dirty and probably always will be, but she’ll wear it like a badge of honor! I have zero buyer’s remorse which is nice (and rare). I did find a couple design flaws but they’re really minimal and don’t effect the ability of the tiller. Only thing I wish it had is a Briggs and Stratton engine (B&S is the best) and the ability to attach a plow to the backend. The next tiller size up (the Pony) can add a plow which makes raised rows for you. A super nice feature but mine apparently can’t handle it even though there’s only a 0.5 hp and about 2” tilling width difference between the pony and bronco. *rolls eyes* Oh well. Maybe I can jury-rig something.
Starting the ol’ girl is a bit of a chore. I seem to always flood the engine. The first time I tried to start it I spent 15 minutes yanking on it’s cord and cursing the fact that it is a Tecumseh engine. I read and re-read the manual to make sure I didn’t have to pull, push or twist something else to get it going. In the end I just pulled the air filter off and cranked it again and that worked. Seems like the choke doesn’t give it enough air at the start…or I don’t have enough pull. Either way it’s a simple remedy and once it’s warmed up it’s easy to get it going again.
Well that was probably more information than you wanted to know about some random yard equipment but now you’ll totally nail the Jeopardy category “Sign of the Tines”
<- Pic of her to follow shortly ->
This is Bernice. She’s a 6.0 hp Troy Bilt Super Bronco tiller (whew). For people who want the gist, she makes the garden pretty and the dirt soft all while burying the weeds in a shallow grave.
A more detailed spec of her:
• Counter-rotating tines for easy use and greater control
• Cast-iron transmission with bronze gear drive
• 1 forward speed with power reverse
• 16" tilling width
• 10" tine diameter
• Adjustable tilling depth up to 6"
• Just One Hand operation
• 12" ag tires for easier manueverability
• Limited lifetime warranty
• 208cc Troy-Bilt engine (lies! It’s a Tecumseh engine.)
<- Insert Tim Allen grunting here ->
The one hand operation is a bit of a stretch, at least when your garden has a fair amount of weeds in it, which ours did. I was able to operate her with one hand but that was after the garden had been run through a couple of times. So yeah, sure, if you’re dirt is loose and sans-weeds then yes you can do it one handed, but not before then.
We actually got her a couple weeks ago and I should have taken a picture of her when she was brand new clean but I forgot. Now she’s dirty and probably always will be, but she’ll wear it like a badge of honor! I have zero buyer’s remorse which is nice (and rare). I did find a couple design flaws but they’re really minimal and don’t effect the ability of the tiller. Only thing I wish it had is a Briggs and Stratton engine (B&S is the best) and the ability to attach a plow to the backend. The next tiller size up (the Pony) can add a plow which makes raised rows for you. A super nice feature but mine apparently can’t handle it even though there’s only a 0.5 hp and about 2” tilling width difference between the pony and bronco. *rolls eyes* Oh well. Maybe I can jury-rig something.
Starting the ol’ girl is a bit of a chore. I seem to always flood the engine. The first time I tried to start it I spent 15 minutes yanking on it’s cord and cursing the fact that it is a Tecumseh engine. I read and re-read the manual to make sure I didn’t have to pull, push or twist something else to get it going. In the end I just pulled the air filter off and cranked it again and that worked. Seems like the choke doesn’t give it enough air at the start…or I don’t have enough pull. Either way it’s a simple remedy and once it’s warmed up it’s easy to get it going again.
Well that was probably more information than you wanted to know about some random yard equipment but now you’ll totally nail the Jeopardy category “Sign of the Tines”
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