Plowing the garden with a Ford 8n can be a bit tricky. Especially with a two bottom plow. In my opinion the Ford 8n’s were made more for a single 16”, but they do well with double 12” in soil with out many rocks. My Dearborn 10-152 has 14” points. I probably should cut them down to the original 12” at some point. With a 2 bottom plow you have to constantly play with the lift. If you hit a hard spot or a wet spot you have to lift the plow a bit. If you do not respond quickly you can sink. As long as your plow is adjusted properly and you pay attention it will do well.
It has been a few years since I have been able to plow my gardens. Our winters have been so wet it was impossible. I am excited for this season now that I have it done. Plowing makes it so much easier to disc. As well as promotes growth. Last year it took me hours to get my gardens disced to my standards.
It is important to plow well before planting season. Here in NC I normally try and plow in December or January. It takes some time for Mother Nature to break down your plowed ground. The constant freezing and thawing breaks down the clumps created by plowing. I have plowed and immediately tried to disc it. It beats you to death and normally has a lot of dirt clots.
Plowing does wonders for your garden. It not only turns the soil, but breaks the ground deeper than your disc normally gets. This promotes root growth and helps with drainage. After 2 years of planting with out plowing I hope to never do it again. I was very fortunate to have a dry spell and be able to slip it in. Next year I will try and plow early December or November before the rains come.
Getting your plow set properly will make your job much easier and effective. Normally with a two bottom plow it takes a good bit of adjustment. You have to ensure both plows are running at the same depth. As well as cutting a even ditch. This will make your plow run much better. It is not hard to do it just takes a few minutes. To get a level ditch you will have to adjust with your tractor in a already cut ditch. Or you will have to drive the left side of your tractor up on a 6x6 board. This is due to the angle your tractor will be running on while plowing. To get a proper cut you have to run the right side of your tractor in the ditch of your previous cut.
Even if you do not have a for 8n it is the same process. No matter how big the plow or tractor. Adjust your plow properly and run the plow as deep as the tractor will comfortably take. With in Reason of course. If you put a double 12” plow on a 50 hp tractor you could sink the plow to the frame. This would make a very deep ditch and put your tractor at a very steep angle.
Speed is very important as well when plowing. This is something I don’t believe I mentioned in the video. You have to have enough speed to flip the dirt. If you go to slow it will roll right back over grass side up. On my Ford 8n first gear wide open throttle is just right. On a Ford 800 I like second gear wide open. First gear is a bit to slow.
I wish you the best of luck in your gardening endeavors. I hope this video will help you in some way. Even if you decide to do it a little different than I do. Thank you for taking the time to watch and read. I will see you in the garden!