Possibly the name of this article should be, “early gardening 101”.
This year it has been decided, that we will double the size of the garden but put the same number of plants as last year. This is being done in an effort to allow enough room so I can actually get in and around the plants to keep the weeds out.
This past Saturday the weather was perfect to do anything outside, so I decided to see if the tiller would run. My tiller is at least 25 years old and I believe it is closer to 30 years old. Naturally, at the beginning of each year I hope and pray that it will run again.
I cleaned the plug, checked the oil and put some gas in it. I pulled the rope a few times in an effort to get gas into the carburetor. The choke will not stay in the choking position by its self, so I have created a device that will hold it in the choked position, which allows me to constipate concentrate on pulling the rope. This invention is a wooden clothes pin which I skillfully altered and it will hold the choke closed. One good thing about this device, it can be clipped on the spark plug wire when not in use.
I pulled the rope several times and I was at the point of becoming disappointed with the tiller or asking for divine intervention. I decided on the latter. I took a minute to rest and then I pulled the rope again. The old tiller sprang to life, WOW!
After a couple minutes of running it was time to see if the tiller was going to till. Into the garden with the tiller I went. I tilled over everything twice and I am amazed at all the big roots I dug up. I then began the hard work of raking the grass and weeds out of the area.
In the photo below, you can see a hansom senior citizen who is apparently raking the grass and weeds from the garden (I got two trash bags full).
This photo is a selfie, I set the camera on a lawn chair, adjusted the timer and pushed the button. Then I sprinted to the garden spot grabbed a rake and pretended to be working (this statement is all true except for the sprinting part).
I have temporarily removed the timbers from around the garden, which was necessary for the expansion, it also made it easier to turn the tiller.
The part that was used as garden last year was much easier to till than the part that still had grass on it.
I noticed that the solar panels need to be cleaned, they are covered with dust. If it would rain more often this dust might be washed away.
The bird house on the pole is no longer there. I decided that it was damaged and should to be removed.
The second photo was taken the next day. The garden spot that was 8 X 16 is now 16 X 16.
The soon to be garden, will set idle for about a month. If the weather cooperates, the next time I till the garden should be in about 30 days, time to plant.
I hope spring comes early for us all!
Don Ford
No comments:
Post a Comment