TOPIC: Planting Large Amounts of Seed

Kduce,

Here is a pic of one of my planting beds after raking.

Somewhat similar to yours. I don't always make mine 5' wide either - some only 3 or 4. What ever works for the lane I decide to plant.



But now the key to automating the process and being able to use power tools, atv rake, atv cultivator can be seen in that photo of Larry's place.

The ground was not too steep, and they really did a good job of cleaning it up. Mostly big timber, with small trees/saplings removed - would be easy to turn around in that with any type of ATV pulled tool or even with small tractor pulling larger tools.

I have some land, on my 200 acre tract, with big gentle sloaping hillsides like that which I may get to planting in the next 4-5 years (after I fill up my home place - 30 acres).

Also - instead of cleaning up and planting every sq ft like Larry did - you could just clean out some nice long lanes on those long hillsides and at the top and bottom of each long planting lane clear out a nice area to turn around your ATV or Tractor or what ever you are using.

I have some places where I could plant lanes 200-300' long but you could allow for breaks in your seed casting to separate into smaller beds for disease control.

TNhunter

I agree he did clean it up great, but what he is growing (in my honest opinion i would never consider it wild-simulated). I don't think there would be any way possible to grow such a large monoculture of plants without using fungicides,pesticides and herbcides. I dont think that there would be any feasible way to even clean up those woods like that without a large amount of herbicides. not even 1 blade of grass around the tree trunks. I think that he does what he does and that is fine, I am taking a different route. I have to stay committed to the type of ginseng i want to grow and not stray too far off of that path. I do want to automate as long as i dont defeat my long term goal.

That equip is too spendy for my taste. I'm sure you guys make more money than this small town taxidermist. With four kids still living at home, I'll be doin good to come up with the cash to buy 20-30 lbs of seeds.

But i'm happy with having seven years of growing behind me with the thought of increasing our qty of planting this year, the old fashion way.

Good luck to you megga planters.

classicfur

Thats ok Classic,
We're all here for the same goals and social experience im sure if we can build some implemnents that work i would be all for letting you come and borrow it. But if you can get the kids out to do some honest work and character building thats probably the more valuable than 1000lbs of ginseng,

I'll just be gald to get individual beds done successfully. Persinckedly plant or not, I think that I'll get a good solution out the door soon. I'm with you guys, I don't think I'm ever going to put in the mega-planting approach.

K_duce

Thanks for the possible offer.

I agree with what you said about Hardings plantings. The way he grows, does'nt even compare to how I grow. And I have never sprayed my plants with chemicals.

To compare his growing methods to our wild simulated methods is really a joke. The only simular thing with his method and mine is: We both use TREES for shade.

Thanks

classicfur

Hey Classicfur,

Most of your planting site pics that I have seen looks like you could easily get around on them with a 4 wheeler - even 2 wheel drive model should work fine.

If you don't own one now you might be able to borrow one from a friend for a short while to get some planting done.

Or in a few years when you do start harvesting your crop and realizing some profits - you migh just invest in some automation tools.

Does not have to be new / expensive stuff, could shop around and find a decent used 4 wheel drive 4 wheeler. If you take care of them they will last almost forever. I have one I bought in 1984 that is still going strong.

Believe me friend - I am sure we all know what it is like to be in a tight spot financially. When we had our second child my wife wanted to quit her (50K year job) to stay at home and raise the kids while they were young, home school, etc.

We did that and I can tell you it was a great investment in our kids. But now we sure had to do without some too and I had to make do with what I had and skip buying the nice new things I wanted. Shop around and pick up used stuff at yard sales, etc.

Now that our kids are older, just last year she decided she wanted to go back to work part time and that sure was a relief financially. She is only working 2-3 days a week now, but making 35.00/hr and well that sure helps out the ole family budget.

Hey - I did more looking around on youtube this morning and found something that looks like it would work well for light clutivation on the planting beds.

It is a ATV Tine Harrow.

Basically something you just drag behind your ATV that has teeth that will break up lightly and level, can also be used to de-thatch lawns. After you rake the leaves off your planting area I think it would do a great job of loosening up the soil some and would not till it deeply.




Below is the vendors website, they have different models (sizes).

4x4 weighs 89 lbs, cost 275.00
4x6 weighs 115 lbs, cost 340.00

I think the 4x6 may be the one he is showing in that video.

3 or 4 passes with something like that looks like it would work up a planting bed real nice.

Then after you cast your seed, you could go over it again a time or two to mix em in good with the soil.

Watch the vid.

When you get to the top or bottom of your planting lane, you could just pick it up and it drops any stuff accumulated on the tines, vines, weeds, leaves, etc.

Looks like a possibility to me.

TNhunter

www.loyal-roth.com/Multi_Use5.html

Found a ATV Drag Harrow at Cabelas. They have more than one size offered and this one seems to be very popular.

40 user reviews rating it 4.8 out of 5 stars.

This one is priced at 379.00

Most of the reviewers seem to be using it for food plots or some for yard work, driveways, etc.

Looks like a heavy duty, very sturdy drag/harrow that would last a lifetime even if drug thru woods over roots, rocks, etc

www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?prod...z_l=YMAL%3BIK-523357

TNhunter

TnHunter,
In looking at the atv leaf rake it appears to me that the speed at which the rake wheels spin is determined by the speed at which the 4wheeler is traveling im wondering if a person could pull that thru the woods fast enough to accomplish anything? something on that line may require an independant belt driven engine to spin the rake wheels to move the leaves, I can probably go fast enough on a 4wheeler on a log road but im not sure if i could make it work on a bed.(unless i made my bed down the log road;)

On the harrow i think it would work good for scratching the surface but i dont think it will drag well over leaves, i think the oak leaves will stick to the tines on the bottom and cause it to ride over the leaves. so if the leaves were removed first i think it would work. Any thoughts on this?

Kduce,

I think you are right about the harrow not working well over forest floor carpet of leaves.

Think you would have to move the leaves off first then use the harrow.

Check out the ATV mini yard rake in the vid below.



If you keep watching he shows going off thru the woods on a rather narrow trail and raking the leaves off. The rake turns much faster than the wheels so you don't have to go that fast to get some good raking action. One pass did a OK job, but 2 or 3 would probably be much better - then you could hook up your harrow/drag and go at it.

Also - you would have to do some prep work before hand cleaning out the lanes you wanted to plant allowing for turn arounds at each end.

What you could do is clear up pairs of planting lanes parallel to each other, a few feet apart, then you could go up one, then over and down the other then go over and up the first one again. That would be more efficient and easier than just turning around at the top and bottom on a single planting lane.

Something else that might work for raking the leaves off and lightly cultivating is a ATV Trail Rake.

You can pitch it fairly steep angle so that the material sort of rolls off to the side. Example below.



TNhunter