Robert Pogson

My fine new Sears roto-tiller did not survive its first season. I was doing the last round this year to incorporate the weeds and crop residue to lighten and to fertilize the soil for next year when the belt-drive broke. The silly design requires me to remove the engine to reach the belt…

My old tiller is looking pretty good these days. A couple of minutes to swap the belt and I was off. The thing ran 23 years and the engine has never been off.

I guess I am done tilling for this season. I was 75% done what I intended to do so it’s not a disaster. I will just have two-tone grass where the corn grew… My plan is to plant fewer pumpkins and more corn in the main patch. Clearly the main patch is large enough for our needs if we use it all. I planted 4 hills of pumpkin and got 300 pounds of fruit. 2 hills will be enough. In the space 2 hills occupied, I can plant 500 corn and I did not use all the space last year. I just never got around to planting more spinach, radishes and carrots. I think I can reduce beets by half at least or even grow them every second year. That leaves plenty of space for peas and carrots.

A big advantage of putting the corn in the main plot is that by going from long/narrow to square, I can more easily water the plants. Last year, I did not have frequent enough watering. I will set up four watering posts to do the job in the main patch which is about 60 feet square.

The greenhouse will be used to give an early start to onions, tomatoes and trees (caragana, lilac, apple, oak, ash, maple, hawthorne). There’s rain expected tomorrow. I have to work more on that project.

UPDATE I disassembled the machine and found the transmission is broken. It was jammed. I fiddled with it a bit and freed it up. After reassembly the tines turned just fine with the tines elevated. As soon as they touched the ground they stopped. The old machine lasted 23 years with much heavier duty and this one lasted five months at twice the price. Now to see if the warranty will be honoured…