From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ohio

Anyone have a easier way of picking up rocks after you till? Best way i found was rake-em up and bend over and pick-em up.(Its going to take forever) Isnt there some kind of machine that picks these hand size rocks up?

Brooks

4/12/2005 9:55:02 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

get a piece of 1 inch square nylon screen...like they use for deer fenceing...lay it down rake the debris over it...by the time you drag it outta the patch only thing left on it is the rocks. its 7 foot wide get a piece ten feet long...good luck!

4/12/2005 10:12:00 PM

Ohio

great!, thanks!

4/12/2005 10:34:02 PM

Garden

I used 1/4" and it took me 2 weeks....in the June sun. Post it up if you come across a better way, PLEASE

4/12/2005 11:50:37 PM

[email protected]

I use a Hay fork, A fork with 12 tines on it and an inch apart. Never have to bend over and all small stuff falls in between. With a fork and a wheelbarrow I can do my patch and garden in an afternoon. I don't have many rocks, but still pretty fast. fork cost me $14.00 at the local Ag store. Well worth it
Eddy

4/13/2005 12:48:13 AM

C N Y

uhhh, how about using a gravel rake made of metal and just
rake the stones and/or rocks onto a big piece of plywood or better yet a tarp and just drag them away. gee you won't have to bend over or anything, lol.......at least the tiller digs them up for you......eg

4/13/2005 1:13:42 AM

Ohio

Uhhhh,eg,if i do it that way Ill be dragging the rock and dirt,I want to make this as easy as possable, I gotta be fresh and ready for the ol -lady, shes in her prime 30's now,*sigh* you remember them days dont ya EG?,lolol ;-)

4/13/2005 1:45:46 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Quinn Werner leaves them rocks in his patch...I pick up the ones bigger than my fist the others stay...If I picked everyone out. I would have no garden :)

4/13/2005 9:24:09 AM

Ohio

Linus,what about that real hard dirt that looks real light brownish white(not clay) that looks like a rock and its almost impossable to break with your fingers, what is that!! I try to get rid of all that.

Brooks

4/13/2005 9:59:43 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

I just had two ten wheeler loads of number #2 natural stones delivered yesterday. Pictures on my dairy. The stones help with draining the water out of the patch. I can see stones that are the size of a softball. But heavy hitters told me to leave all the stones you can to drain the soil.

4/13/2005 11:37:36 AM

C N Y

funny thing, Brooks, you had asked about a machine that would do it for us. maybe my "design" there needs some improvements including wheels on it, lol...i could make a fortune if i spent the time on something, oh well...
i was on my weigh to work this morning and saw this nice big tractor out there by the edge of the field with, you guessed it, a rock-picker-upper-thinger on the side of it.
it had three gigantic sets of teeth that rotated backward, as the tractor would move forward, and the teeth
would dig into the soil and pick-up the bigger rocks and deposit them into a gigantic bin, on wheels i do believe...

i wonder if one of those things can be rented.
maybe someday when i have my own tractor!
yeah, i am in my 30s also...for another 12 days--*sigh* lol

4/13/2005 12:39:54 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Brooks, just get off your LAZY BUTT and pick the dang rocks up!!! And while your at it, come over here and pick mine up too...LOL That's a hint. When are you coming over to view the patch?

4/13/2005 4:22:59 PM

Puyallup, WA

I've seen 1K pumpkins grown with many rocks in the soil......and 1K pumpkins grown in soil with "zero" rocks. However, I have not observed a 1K pumkins grown on a rock pile!

4/13/2005 4:39:07 PM

Long Island,New York

Use a potatoe harvester.

4/13/2005 5:17:48 PM

Puyallup, WA

Glen....Are you running for VP in 2008?

4/13/2005 6:38:06 PM

New Brunswick

rocks are of great benifit they hold the moisture and heat in ground ,i need these to grow 1K pumpkins in canada

4/13/2005 8:53:10 PM

[email protected]

For large area rock removal:

The three point hitch mounted PTO driven Harley Rake is the best at removing rocks if they're that much trouble. A York Rake is then used for the windrowed rocks left by the Harley on the surface. Then scoop the buggers up with a bucket loader. SWEEEET!

4/13/2005 9:25:08 PM

Long Island,New York

You say potato...I say potatoe......

4/13/2005 11:17:06 PM

Indiana

I'll have a plate of those Werner rocks please!

Tom

4/14/2005 12:24:44 AM

Hobbiton New Zealand

pay the kids per bucket to pick them up

4/14/2005 1:59:00 AM

Pulaski Tn [email protected]

you can rent a bobcat with a rockhound attchment on it..

4/15/2005 12:32:56 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

leave 'em

4/15/2005 5:11:39 AM

Long Island,New York

Sell them to Pumpkinbrat.

4/15/2005 5:22:56 PM

Utah

Quinn said I could have some of his for free... but I'm holding out for free shipping also ...

4/15/2005 6:44:00 PM

Ohio

DARKY,Now thats a great idea!,,,,LIpumpkin,after my two kids pick up my rocks I'll let you know how much you owe them......lol Thanks for the idea Darky!

Brooks

4/15/2005 7:41:47 PM

Ohio

wow, they have $20 bucks worth picked up already! "Cha- Ching!!

4/15/2005 7:43:43 PM

Ohio

now $40,,,,,,,,,,,,,

4/15/2005 7:44:52 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

I guess I got all the stones I need LIpumpkin. If I had known I could of made a post here and got them for free, I would have............

4/15/2005 10:22:54 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Let me know if I'm doing something wrong...been pluckin every rock outta the patch for years...Don't ..I mean Don't tell me I gotta put em back!...and if you do I'm going back to growin maters!....I hope they have a warm convention site! LOL.....GrowEmBig! Chuck

4/15/2005 10:33:37 PM

Sioux Falls, SD [email protected]

Save yer energy for the lil lady
Kids are great for picking up rocks!

4/16/2005 12:20:45 AM

Ohio

lol

4/16/2005 4:36:24 AM

Ohio

Get your thick wallet out LIPumpkin, ha-ha ,I bet your wondering how I get stuck paying-em??,,,,LMAO

Kids said''THANKS UNCLE LIPUMPKIN!',,,I told them ol-Dad will take care of spliting the money..................three ways,*cough*)

4/16/2005 4:43:43 AM