New Garden

[IAfarmer]

Imiagine this:

You have a couple of open sod acres ready for a new garden to be built.

You own a CCC782 that has been your mower for a few years. You do have at your availablity (5 hours away) a 982 and an 1863, neither set up for tillers or plows.

What do you do to start the new garden:

Buy a tiller and the attatchments to hook it up to your tractor
Buy everything you need to put a plow on your tractor and a disc
Buy the 982 or 1863 at your disposal and set it up with either of the above set ups.

What is the best way to start a new garden from open sod? That is my issue right now, so I look to you guys for advice. I can't do anything until spring due to the fact I am just moving in now, and doubt the soil will be workable by the time I can be set up to do it.

Thanks!

[Mountain Heritage]

buy the 982 and set it up.....they are great!!

[Wild Bill]

IAfarmer: Is your 782 an IH built machine with the cast iron transaxle?

If so, your best/easiest/least expensive way to go, is get an IH 3 point set-up for the 782, get a Brinly sleeve hitch adapter, and a 10" Brinly plow....'AG tread' rear tires or chains on the factory turf treads, and wheel weights, will make life a lot easier too

Once you plow the spot, let it sit for a rain or two, then use a Brinly disk, or a walk behind tiller, (or if by then you have an IH tiller, you could use it) to work the dirt into a useable condition. > BTW, check out the 'Gardening with your Cub Cadet 101' threads, by Merk and myself, for several pointers <

The tiller will bust up the sod...however, you will get the snot beat out you. The tillers are top notch at tearing up a plowed garden, or a garden that was used last year, etc. On 'virgin' earth/sod...they bounce...bouncing the tiller, bouncing the tractor, and bouncing you. Sometimes they 'catch' and will send the tractor forward, even with your foot on the brake pedal and your hand yanking the hydro lever back-you are still going forward until you turn the PTO off!

[IAfarmer]

Thanks for the tips. I might need to have a plow day here!

[IAfarmer]

For grins, I put the tiller in the lowest setting for tilling, and tried it out in the sod. It worked great for abut 25 feet, and then the main belt that goes through the mule drive blew apart. Is this a sign of the ground being too hard, or of a bad belt? The PO told me it was the only belt he had not replaced.

Thanks.