TOPIC: Just Finished My First Planting

I have spent the last two days getting around a pound of seed in the ground. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but you really don't know what you're getting into until you dig in to the project. Overall, I have put a little more than a pound of seed into the ground. This being my first year, of course I did everything the hard way.

My first plot was done completely by hand. I cleared all the under brush with a hatchet. I raked all the leaves back by hand, and cultivated the whole plot with a rake. I dropped the seeds into the cultivated top layer and stepped over the plot to push the seed into the dirt. I then took my rake and covered it back with leaves.

On my second plot, I did everything the same except raking the leaves by hand. I took my leaf blower and blew all the leaves off the plot. That worked incredibly well. It even took all the little sticks and limbs with it. The only drawback is when you go to cover your patch back, you don't have nice piles like you do when you rake by hand. I didn't blow leaves back on for fear of blowing seeds away. I would definately do this again, only I would get some straw to cover the beds over instead of messing with getting leaves back on the plot.

Overall, I'm pleased. I'll be really pleased if I see some results next spring. My only fear is the drought we had here this year. I planted around what little rain we have had, so the seeds will get some moisture, but overall it's dryer than it has been in years. If this works, I'll definately upgraded my operation. Cultivating is what has killed me. I saw Black and Decker makes a battery operated cultivator, the price is right and it got good reviews, so that my be worth looking into.

Classicfur and TNhunter get a special thanks. They have been incrdibly helpful with all the information they have provided. I have one more favor to ask of them. Can you make it rain for me now?

Jacquo,

A pound in two days - nice !

Using the rake and scatter method I planted about 3.5 oz in 1 hr, 45 minutes the other day. It had just rained and the ground was nice and soft and that made a nice difference.

I am expecting another pound of seed to arrive any day now so will be back at it soon myself.

I think I found that tool you mentioned on youtube.

Cordless B & D Cultivator



But now below is one more like Tim the Tool man Taylor would want...

Stihl 55 Yard Boss Cultivator



Almost all of the demo's for those mini type cultivators they are tilling up soil that is already nice and soft.

Would be nice to see one in action in some of that root bound rocky woods soil. Probably be bouncing all over the place.

I do hope you get a good rain soon - if I could send some your way I sure would.

Best of luck with your planting - thousands of 3 leafers this spring - on their way to being nice 4 prongers.

TNhunter

Jacquo

Your welcome!

Congrats on getting your first year of seeds in the ground!

It's easy to put off this planting thing. But once you get into the spring and see some results, the next planting will be easier. 1) just having some experience in planting and 2)Seeing all those plants that come up in the spring to encourage you to do it again and again and again!

Enjoy hearing your new idea with the leaf blower and the pros and cons to go with it.

P.s. I thought my ground was compact and full of roots. But after hearing how everyone else is saying how difficult it is to do the cultivating part. Perhaps my soil is softer then every bodies. My 12 yr. old boy did all the cultivating for the 1 pound of seeds we planted this year, and acted like there was nothing to it. But he is young and has more energy than he knows what to do with it.

Good luck Jacquo!

classicfur

Classicfur,

I have a 13 year old daughter, but now she is a girly girl. A real bueaty and about 4\" taller than her mother now. She is into Justin Bebier songs, her chlothes, all that girly stuff.

No help in the seng planting woods there.

Then my son is 8 and well he is into spounge bob, and ed,edd and eddie, playing the drumbs, and of course video games/computer games.

No help in the seng planting woods there either.

He does like to get out there and tromp around with me but now when you really start working he is ready to go back home to mom.

Give him a few years and perhaps I will have young buck out ther helping me out to.

It looks like per order tracking that my pound of seed should arvive tomorrow - that will be nice - Hope I can spend a good part of Saturday getting those seeds in the ground.

Here is what our 7 Day forcast looks like now:



Our ground sould still be fairly soft and damp, and it looks like we could get a bit more next week. Got a chance anyway.

Checking out for the night now - bed time for sure.

Have a good one.

TNhunter

TNhunter, next year I plan on not going as hard. I have some flexability in my hours right now, but a pound of seeds in two days was pushing it. I haven't read the literature like you gentleman have, but I'm wondering if it would be fine to clear the brush anytime, then when you're ready to get serious, spend a day or two prepping the beds, then wait a day or two before planting. Everything I heard said plant the seeds immdediately, but I'm wondering if a few days would hurt. I'm a little sore right now in the back, hamstrings, and wrists, so strectching out the project would be a little easier on the body.

I'm thinking about stopping by the local rent-all place to see if they have any small cultivators. Maybe renting one for a couple of days is the way to go. This way I can see if I like it and can purchase one for long term use the following year.

Jacquo

I start clearing the areas for planting in June. By the end of July the areas are completely ready to plant, including all the beds measured and marked off. When I go out to plant the seeds all I do is rake leaves, cultivate soil, plant seeds and rake leaves back over beds. To plant 1 pound of seeds it takes about 8-12 hrs.

Here is what my beds look like before I go out to plant. You can see some of the sticks stuck in the ground marking off where the seeds will be planted in the beds.

It's much easier if you plan ahead and clear your areas in the spring and summer.

classicfur

Another one.

Classicfur,

I'll definately start working a little earlier in the season. I waited too late this year. I tried to do to much at one time, plus the majority of leaves had fallen by the time I began. If I start planting a few weeks earlier, I won't have to wrestle so many leaves.

Your land looks a different than mine, but with you living 800 miles away from me, that's to be expected. Just out of curiosity, what kind of trees are those in your picture? It's hard to tell in a photo.

Jacquo

The trees I have are about 75-80% Sugar Maple. Then theres some Red Oak, White Ash and a few Elm, White Pine, Birch and some others.

classicfur

I thought they looked like maple or some type of poplar, but wasn't sure. The majority of the trees in my planting area are poplar, walnut, a few hard maples, elm, sycamore, and a few types of hickory. The big shame about the fenced off area that I have is that it is mainly oak. Red oak, white oak, and black oak. I obviously don't plant around them, so of the 40 fenced off acres I have, only 30% of it is suitable for ginseng.