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huffy

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There's a lot of rocks in my garden plot. Every time I plow or till more pop to the top. I'm getting tired of walking around and picking them up. I'm thinking of buying a landscape rake so that I can at least rake them up into a pile to load them into the trailer instead of walking all over the garden. Do the Agri-Fab style landscape rakes work well for this, or would something else be better?

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Chris I used to run dozer for a real estate developer with rocky soil in South Bend.

We tried lots of things because the rocks would hurt our grass seed drill[planter]. Ive seen guys use a sweeper to try to "windrow" the rocks then scoop em up (on flat ground). and there are rock baskets for loaders to "sift" the soil. there's even big self power contraptions to do this to...$$$

York type rakes work ok but usually grab too much dirt or not enough rocks

If you can develope a good/depedable/easy/cheap way to de-rock your soil...then my friend you''ll be rich...Good luck :(

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Chris,

I would recommend a "york" type tow behind rake, most of these are $300 and up, requiring a sleeve hitch (at Northern Tool, and more).

TSC has a unique add-on attachment for a front bucket called a "ratchet

rake", that straps onto the bucket.

http://ekwds77.pairserver.com/ratchetrake/

My experience (as a teenager) was with a "york" style rake, that my Dad scratch built for my uncle, to tow behind his old Chevy truck (converted to a tractor).

Wayne

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I feel your pain Chris - Eventually you will get most of them. I hate hitting rocks with the tiller.

What I do is give my kids a five gallon bucket and whoever fills up their bucket first wins! Of course this strategy only works one time.

Good Luck,

Dave

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Depending on where you are at, you might be able to hire a landscape company to use a rock picker to rid your soil of rocks.

Here is a link to something similar that I'm speaking of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_picker

There are other places that rent smaller ones that might be of help.

Aside from picking rocks, if you put a lot of compost in your garden, you can build the soil somewhat up from the rock bed.

Good luck,

Bill

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I've tried a lot of things the best is a landscape rake with every other tooth removed for the larger ones and then the only real way to get them is to pick them up by hand,kinda tough on the wife but I do help her sometimes.

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I have been a experience rock picker since the early 80's B). up at our deer camp we do some large fields and lots of small food plots. I just picked rocks a few weeks ago . it's never ending . back in the day on the big fields we would follow behind a old 67 ford pickup and toss the rocks in the bed.

i herd of a rock picking front bucket . we may have to look into that .

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quote:Originally posted by acfarmer

the only real way to get them is to pick them up by hand,kinda tough on the wife but I do help her sometimes.


id="quote">
id="quote">I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I read that one.:D
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I was a professional rock picker from age 13-17 when I got my own job.

When I started my 12x20' garden, I would spend a half hour or so at a time making my rock pile. Now I am down to like 5-10 minutes.

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I can't get the boss lady to pick up rocks, all I can get her to do is complain and talk back :D. I do have experience running a 3 point Harley Rake (power box rake)they are very effective at pulling any rocks or roots up to about 2 -3 inches deep, the drum spins and kinda tills the dirt and keeps the rocks going ahead while leaving most of the dirt in place. Shouldn't cost that much to rent one for the weekend.

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I have not yet tried asking the wife to pick up rocks.

I have a rock wall about 16" high and 40 feet long at the bottom of my garden.

When I go before St. Peter, I will point out how many rocks I have picked up, but I don't know if that will do me any good.

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I don't know how many carts full of rocks I've picked out of there so far. It's at least 8 since I first plowed it up a year or two ago. I met a woman today that raises horses and has a huge pile of composted manure that she's trying to get rid of. This weekend I'll get as many truck loads as I can and spread that in there. Maybe that'll help some. I'll also shred up leaves and till them in this fall. I wish I had a bagger for the SS, cause the 5 or so acres that I mow would make some great clippings to put in there.

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You can rent at larger rental places a bobcat with what's called a "rock hound", it has teeth that dig down into the soil and they vibrate, the rocks pop out and flow into the bucket as you move forward.... I used one years ago to help a fried ready his lawn loam for seeding at his new house. Pretty slick and not too expensive for a days rental if I remember.

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Growing up on an Iowa farm the only crop we could count on was "rocks" Never had to plant them, never needed rain and they grew like crazy. We used a bendinbucket for our rock picking. That is, bend over, pick up the rock and put it in the bucket:D I do not miss that chore.

Ken

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For you fellows not having much luck getting the wife to pick rocks you might want to point out to her how much nicer it'll be not having to deal with the rocks when she is hilling the corn and potatos and of course the side benefit of keeping fit and trim.And of course don't forget for her birthday to give her new work gloves and her very own hand rock rake.Pays to spoil them a little.

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quote:Originally posted by acfarmer

For you fellows not having much luck getting the wife to pick rocks you might want to point out to her how much nicer it'll be not having to deal with the rocks when she is hilling the corn and potatos and of course the side benefit of keeping fit and trim.And of course don't forget for her birthday to give her new work gloves and her very own hand rock rake.Pays to spoil them a little.


id="quote">
id="quote">I'd rather the rocks stayed in the garden than get hit in the head with them.
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I feel your pain. I cant get a clean shovel full on my property and rotatilling or pickforking the garden just increases the rock pile next to the garden. Got to love New England

Moleman

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quote:if you put a lot of compost in your garden, you can build the soil somewhat up from the rock bed.id="quote">
id="quote">

I've spread horse manure over about 3/4 of it over the past few days. I'll cover the rest tomorrow and then till it in. Maybe that'll help some. I might put a second layer over it too and then till that in come spring. Is it possible to put too much in too fast?

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Chris,

I am far from an expert but I would think the amount of manure you can add would depend on how composted it is. When I add horse manure to my garden I try and use manure that has composted for a year. I do check the heat of the manure. If it is warm then I don't add any. Remember as manure composts it generates heat.

I have a free supply of manure, I got two horses eating hay. The trick is to keep one pile ahead of my use.

Rick........

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You can have it quarried off and when the hole is deep enough, ask for clean fill to fill it up and then you'd have a rockless garden for quite some time. Bad idea, huh?:o)

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