Like the old days-Equipment w/t gas

[Lavender Tea]

I am fervently looking for <U>information</U>(ie: experience or tips) and <U>equipment</U> that would help me Till, cultivate, plant... yeah...everything, just plain garden Without using anything that is gas or electrically powered.

I am sensitive to both and cannot use(especially fuel)....obviously i am looking for help with the "big" jobs in particular. Tree trimming, Garden Tilling etc.

So I am thinking....go back to the old days....Anyone have any grandfather stuff? Links to new "old" equip?
Might be able to fit a horse and plow onto my property....wonder how my neighbors would like that.....lol

Have a wonderful day everyone and thanks for any help that you may offer.

~Lavender Tea

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

One can till a lot with a garden fork, and the garden weazle is a fabulose invention. once you het enough organics in the soil it will be easier to work.

There are many arborists out there that use power tools as a last resort. Get Sherrill's catalog by clicking on the banner above.

Man, I was going to suggest the horse team . Mules are better though, more power. Could strap the kids onto a plow , that is how most poor farmers used to do it. Still do, stick plows are easy to make

 

[monkeypuzzle]

..............and don't forget the elbow grease.

 

[Lavender Tea]

Oh yeah, .....my good 'ole hubby
I make such a good coordinator/director...i am sure he will really appreciate doing the labor.... i think i should let him know now.
lol



Thanks for the suggestions men(hopefully i got that right, ha)

And the garden weasel....looks good....but for larger areas? anything like that available?

Have a wonderful day,
Misty Lavender Tea

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I have used a garden weazle on several hundred square feet for grass seeding when we could not get a machine into a yard. They work suprisingly well.

 

[Lavender Tea]

Thanks, it's done!
Well....mentally that is.

Can't wait to get started...lol exactly as blob predicts

Misty Lavender Tea

 

[the tree guy]

If you really want to go back to the good old days look for Amish communitys (are there Amish in Calif).?THEY will have all the hand tools you could possibly use for any task,or make you one.There alot of old order Amish in northern Indiana and many small shops that hand make tools of all types.But it would be cheaper to get an"english" copy.Lots of large draft horses.John can a team of mules out pull a team of draft horses?(not being smart,I don't know)I been around draft horses most ofmy life, but never mules.My first logging job (25 years ago)was with a man who logged with horses and it was amazing to me what they could do. Dan

 

[Lavender Tea]

Californian Amish, well....um, if there are...nobody has told me!
>smiles<

I really like the idea though....and i'm pretty creative... so my imagination is going.
When i had my first house....i didn't have any garden tools and you know what? A nice smallish back end of a hammer works soo well for holes for seeds...and then flip it over and pat it down.
It's still one of my favorites. Never have used those silly little spades.
>grins< lol

Happy weekend!

Lavender Rain

 

[Lavender Tea]

P.S.-Is the garden weasel good for deep rooted vegetable planting? That is what i'm after. Putting in a garden.
What is the longest depth it can go?

Lav-T

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Oh a couple inches best, you need a fork for deeper tilling. Onecd you get a good sandy laom worked together it gets to be easy. I've found that a few weeks of sweat is a good initial investment in a garden getting the soil right. For years we busted up the crappy clay then decided to amend the soil. First just sand, that made little balls of concreat but once we bought a blend and worked it in it turned ouyt nice.

I do have a rear-tine 8hp tiller now, I'll never go back to a garden fork myself.

 

[Lavender Tea]

I'm thinking that my *only* alternative is to hire a bunch of muscley men with forks and shovels....seems the healthiest....


now....to convince hubby....

 

[monkeypuzzle]

I'm sure Anais would recommend the same alternative.