Hey ! Nice video! I think I can ad something you might like:) two things:) I am using a stihl battery weedwacker (fsa 90 or even better fsa 130) very low noise, light, faster (I tried gasoline weedwacker;) than....my approach “mow and grow” meaning..: no tarp, no waiting in some cases no extra compost..just plant straight after mowing! No matter what you had in the bed, it works fine ! Yes after cabbages or broadbeans lettuce anything ... this machine is powerful and very accurate without making tomuch of a mess. In case of cabbage or lettuce you can mow with a slight angle just below soil surface (0.5 inch ) to prevent regrowth! Leave all that shredded organic cabbage on top to dry out as mulch and plant the crop(s) I am planning on doing a video on that !! Like your jokes in between by the way 😂 greetz ! Respect ✊
I started scything on my suburban lawn. Now we're building our homestead on 20 acres of woodlands and I'm using a brush blade scythe more than the grass blade because I need to cut saplings and briars, not just grass. I've got a decent amount of experience with a scythe at this point. Watching you working the Kale beds, I'm going to say that you don't need those leveled out anymore than they are to use a scythe instead of the weed wacker. When you learn to use a scythe properly it's a near meditative process and the effort involved is *less* than working that vibrating machine with all the weight out on the end of the stick. I'm not comfortable saying the scythe would be satisfactory on the arugula - it might not cut that as well as you want. Although I say that and then think that if you used a brush blade on the scythe you could probably take it right through the compost and cut all of that stuff off just below ground.... In any event, a scythe will make fast and efficient work of the kale for sure, probably faster than the weed whacker and certainly with less noise and effort. ;)
I´d be really interested in the weed-whacker thing, but with a scythe. Scything can also be strenous, but it removes the noise and smell of the whacker, and i´d figure the things you flip out of are old and rigid enough to not bend away from under the blade.
I use a scythe but I also use a Stihl FS90. I'm also getting away from modern tech but I think I'll always use the Stihl. It's powerful enough to shred the top 1/2 inch or so of soil and helps get rid of bermuda grass but I primarily use it to shred straw bales which I cover all my beds with. I use the weedeater head and it does an amazing job!
I have a bunch of scythes. A few are my great grandpa's he used to cut hay. I like the idea of no till but man are tarps expensive. I scythe one day let it lay come back the next day and do a shallow till, maybe 2" deep and plant right into the residue.
They make a harness for the Stihl weedwhacker. They also make a small rototiller attachment, but I haven't used it yet. $300! I'll probably go rent it for a day...
I have 7/10 acres that are tilled but I would like to use part of that area for winter growth as well as starting plants. I am in NJ near the coast. What would you suggest for a green build structure?
Hi Jessie, just wanted a clarification on when you would use a greens harvester vs knife harvest on lettuce. I just watched your 7/1/18 video on summer lettuce where you mention that direct sow gets the harvester but transplants get knife cut. Can you give a little more reason for that? Thanks, Bill
For our cut lettuce we grow Salanova (among others) which create a large core in the middle and would thus be pretty tough to pick through post-harvest if harvested with the greens harvester. Those cores can be bitter, plus you would miss a lot of leaves around the edges. It’s basically growing a head lettuce as a cut lettuce, if that makes sense. But the flavor is ten times better than baby lettuces as is the storage-ability so that’s why we do it.
Great Channel, thanks for sharing so much of your knowledge and experimentation!! Just saved your .com site as well. Where/what zone is your farm J? Cheers, have a great day off.
Thanks again Jesse! You're doing stuff that I want to do but thought was too ideological. And making it work. In particular you said you want to reduce the use mechanical stuff. I've worked industry and now aquaculture research. The main reason I have burned out on both is not labor but the noise from loud machinery (and loud people). I know there's always going to be some of that but I'd like to minimize it.
I definitely know what you mean. I spent a lot of time on tractors in my first two years of farming and I the noise was exhausting and I loathed what they did to my body. My wife and I both decided that would not be the future of our farm. So indeed. We are backing off of mechanization little by little to just see if we can make a reasonable living that way and so far we are more profitable and happier.
No freak out at all. I have that concern running in my brain 24/7. The goal is to redice mechanization AND labor but we'll see. I'm not dogmatic about it. Er, I try not to be
@@notillgrowers I'm 63 years old. I'll take a scythe over a weed whacker pretty much every time because not only is it much more pleasant to be around, it's less work ;) People often assume that higher technology equals easier. It's not necessarily true ;)
I appreciate these videos. I am continuing to learn more and more and having better results.
Keep up the good work.
Hey ! Nice video! I think I can ad something you might like:) two things:) I am using a stihl battery weedwacker (fsa 90 or even better fsa 130) very low noise, light, faster (I tried gasoline weedwacker;) than....my approach “mow and grow” meaning..: no tarp, no waiting in some cases no extra compost..just plant straight after mowing! No matter what you had in the bed, it works fine ! Yes after cabbages or broadbeans lettuce anything ... this machine is powerful and very accurate without making tomuch of a mess. In case of cabbage or lettuce you can mow with a slight angle just below soil surface (0.5 inch ) to prevent regrowth! Leave all that shredded organic cabbage on top to dry out as mulch and plant the crop(s) I am planning on doing a video on that !! Like your jokes in between by the way 😂 greetz ! Respect ✊
I started scything on my suburban lawn. Now we're building our homestead on 20 acres of woodlands and I'm using a brush blade scythe more than the grass blade because I need to cut saplings and briars, not just grass. I've got a decent amount of experience with a scythe at this point. Watching you working the Kale beds, I'm going to say that you don't need those leveled out anymore than they are to use a scythe instead of the weed wacker. When you learn to use a scythe properly it's a near meditative process and the effort involved is *less* than working that vibrating machine with all the weight out on the end of the stick. I'm not comfortable saying the scythe would be satisfactory on the arugula - it might not cut that as well as you want. Although I say that and then think that if you used a brush blade on the scythe you could probably take it right through the compost and cut all of that stuff off just below ground.... In any event, a scythe will make fast and efficient work of the kale for sure, probably faster than the weed whacker and certainly with less noise and effort. ;)
Helpful, go kick it with the fam!
I´d be really interested in the weed-whacker thing, but with a scythe.
Scything can also be strenous, but it removes the noise and smell of the whacker, and i´d figure the things you flip out of are old and rigid enough to not bend away from under the blade.
I would like to try a scythe for sure at some point. I think my beds would have to be more level but maybe not
I use a scythe but I also use a Stihl FS90. I'm also getting away from modern tech but I think I'll always use the Stihl. It's powerful enough to shred the top 1/2 inch or so of soil and helps get rid of bermuda grass but I primarily use it to shred straw bales which I cover all my beds with. I use the weedeater head and it does an amazing job!
I want to get a scythe
I have a bunch of scythes. A few are my great grandpa's he used to cut hay. I like the idea of no till but man are tarps expensive. I scythe one day let it lay come back the next day and do a shallow till, maybe 2" deep and plant right into the residue.
An electric weedeater does this as well
You should try an actually string timer instead of a metal head blade or brush cutter. Wider radius and will go much faster. You the man Jesse
For sure. We just wanted to avoid the plastic pieces in the garden from the string.
New subscriber; thanks lots of great information.
They make a harness for the Stihl weedwhacker. They also make a small rototiller attachment, but I haven't used it yet. $300! I'll probably go rent it for a day...
I have 7/10 acres that are tilled but I would like to use part of that area for winter growth as well as starting plants. I am in NJ near the coast. What would you suggest for a green build structure?
Great video! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and ongoing experiments with us.
Thanks for watching!
Hi Jessie, just wanted a clarification on when you would use a greens harvester vs knife harvest on lettuce. I just watched your 7/1/18 video on summer lettuce where you mention that direct sow gets the harvester but transplants get knife cut. Can you give a little more reason for that? Thanks, Bill
For our cut lettuce we grow Salanova (among others) which create a large core in the middle and would thus be pretty tough to pick through post-harvest if harvested with the greens harvester. Those cores can be bitter, plus you would miss a lot of leaves around the edges. It’s basically growing a head lettuce as a cut lettuce, if that makes sense. But the flavor is ten times better than baby lettuces as is the storage-ability so that’s why we do it.
@@notillgrowers makes sense, thanks!
Great Channel, thanks for sharing so much of your knowledge and experimentation!! Just saved your .com site as well. Where/what zone is your farm J? Cheers, have a great day off.
Thanks! We're in 6b, central ky.
Thanks again Jesse! You're doing stuff that I want to do but thought was too ideological. And making it work. In particular you said you want to reduce the use mechanical stuff. I've worked industry and now aquaculture research. The main reason I have burned out on both is not labor but the noise from loud machinery (and loud people). I know there's always going to be some of that but I'd like to minimize it.
I definitely know what you mean. I spent a lot of time on tractors in my first two years of farming and I the noise was exhausting and I loathed what they did to my body. My wife and I both decided that would not be the future of our farm. So indeed. We are backing off of mechanization little by little to just see if we can make a reasonable living that way and so far we are more profitable and happier.
Awesome Video!!
a scythe can be more effective than a brush cutter depending on the crop.
Would love to try a scythe. Might have to level my beds better but will trial it for sure
Hey Jesse
Random thought. Don't seed tillage radish,!
So are you and Hannah the only ones working on the farm?
Not anymore! We have one part-time employee who is slowly becoming full-time.
Unless you use a metal blade, you leave plastic in your beds.
Metal blades for sure
Ryobi Rechargable electric weed wacker....;)
I think he may need something more professional
Don't let this freak u out but the future u is going to say the work is kicking your butt...are u sure going away from technology is a great idea...
No freak out at all. I have that concern running in my brain 24/7. The goal is to redice mechanization AND labor but we'll see. I'm not dogmatic about it. Er, I try not to be
@@notillgrowers I'm 63 years old. I'll take a scythe over a weed whacker pretty much every time because not only is it much more pleasant to be around, it's less work ;) People often assume that higher technology equals easier. It's not necessarily true ;)
Boop
Just cover them
Get a sythe already