BCS Plastic Mulch Layer with Tool Box

Description

BCS Plastic Mulch Layer with Tool Box

Laying plastic mulch by hand is a two-person job that takes far longer than it should. The BCS plastic mulch layer lays the film and buries both edges in one pass behind the tractor, anchoring it to the soil. Made in the USA, it handles 3 or 4 foot wide rolls on 2,400 foot cores and is aimed at professional growers on the 749 and larger tractors.

Raised Beds or Flat Beds

With a 4 foot roll it covers the top and sides of a 28 to 30 inch raised bed and buries the plastic at the base, or flat-lays 36 to 40 inches of exposed film on a level bed. A 3 foot roll is for flat beds only, leaving about 26 inches exposed. Raised beds must be uniform in shape and no taller than 3 inches. A set of plow openers for flat beds and a set of 12 inch disc openers for raised beds are both included.

Adjusting for Your Soil

Openers cut the furrows, press wheels push the plastic into them and closers bury it. All three adjust vertically and horizontally and must be set identically on both sides; BCS suggests measuring the shanks to confirm. Expect a little experimenting even in good conditions, and start with soil that is well worked, dry and level. A floating, oval-hole quick hitch tang lets the unit follow small contours and correct its course, with six height settings at the hitch.

Mulch Layer Requirements

• Tractors: 749, 779, 852, 853 with the Quick Hitch Bushing; 750 and 889 with the HD 2-bolt bushing
• Wheel extensions: 22″ (or 16″ plus 5.5″) to straddle a 30″ bed
• Tires: 5×12 minimum recommended; wheel weights help traction
• Included: removable tool box with two 18 x 3″ compartments
• Sold separately: mulch rolls, drip tape layer kit, drip tape

Drip Tape Under the Film

Plastic mulch almost always needs drip irrigation beneath it. The optional drip tape layer kit feeds one line as the film goes down, and the offset mounting flange centers it in the bed. Two layers can be fitted but get heavy; for several lines, lay the tape first by hand. Attachment coverage is three years residential and one year commercial.

Building the Bed First

The mulch layer needs a consistent bed to work on, and BCS’s bed shaper, run on a Tool Carrier Kit after the tiller, forms a 3 inch high, 30 inch wide bed in one pass, exactly the profile this machine expects.