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Machine "Shapes, Covers, And Irrigates Seedbeds For Vegetable Crops
Michael Dunn, operator of a fruit and vegetable farm near Chesterfield, Ill., designed and built a three-in-one machine that shapes planting beds, lays down drip irrigation hose, and then covers the seedbed and drip hose with a 3-ft. wide layer of black plastic.
The 3-pt. mounted machine is made from angle iron
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Machine "Shapes, Covers, And Irrigates Seedbeds For Vegetable Crops MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 24-1-8 Michael Dunn, operator of a fruit and vegetable farm near Chesterfield, Ill., designed and built a three-in-one machine that shapes planting beds, lays down drip irrigation hose, and then covers the seedbed and drip hose with a 3-ft. wide layer of black plastic.
The 3-pt. mounted machine is made from angle iron and sheet metal. A spool of perforated irrigation hose is carried on top with a roll of plastic underneath. A pair of small rubber wheels holds the plastic against the ground while a pair of angled steel blades throw dirt onto the edges of the plastic behind the wheels. A steel roller helps flatten the plastic against the bed ahead of the wheels.
"It does a nice job and is a low cost way to eliminate chemicals and conserve water at the same time. As far as I know there's nothing like it on the market," says Dunn. "I use a 22 hp tractor to pull it. I used it for the first time last spring to plant strawberries in rows 18 in. apart, with one row on each side of the bed. I used a razor or knife to slit the plastic and then hand planted the strawberry plants, staggering them within the rows. The drip irrigation hose runs down the center of the bed and between the two rows. It drips water out every 12 in. so it irrigates just the plants and not the surrounding soil, which conserves water.
"To start down the row I first hand feed the plastic and hose under the roller and wheels, then let the machine down and pull forward. Since the photos were taken I've replaced the angled steel plates with discs which do a better job of pulling dirt up on top of the edges of the plastic.
"I think the same machine could be used with any vegetable or fruit crop that does well in raised beds, including cantaloupe, watermelons, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. The black plastic draws heat to the soil which gets plants off to a faster start."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Michael Dunn, Rt. 1, Chesterfield, Ill. 62630 (ph 618 753-3352).
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