If you have a large vegetable garden – and by large, we mean 30’ x 50’ (9 x 15 m) or so, or larger – then a middle buster will be a valuable tool for you year after year, season after season.

A Frontier Middle Buster (US CA) is a really great labor- and time-saving tool for both putting in your big garden, AND, at harvest time, for digging out all those great root vegetables you’ve grown, bringing them right up to the surface. It’s compatible with a Category 1, 3-point hitch. And if you’re using a John Deere tractor with an iMatch® Quick Hitch, it’s even easier to attach. This middle buster will work really well with tractors ranging from 25 to 45 horsepower (18.6-33.6 kW).

After tilling your garden soil, you’ll use the middle buster and its double-wing cutting blades to dig a nice, straight furrow up to 12 inches (30.5 cm) deep for whatever you might be planting. For example, if you’re planting potatoes, plant the seed potatoes 4 inches 10.2 cm) deep, 8 to 12 inches (20.3-30.5 cm) apart. Then cover them with soil. A row hipper is a good tool for doing that. When the potato stems are 6 inches (15.25 cm) tall, build the soil up around them to cover the new roots sprouting and to support the plant. Keep doing this every couple weeks until the vine leaves turn yellow and wilt. You can use a row hipper to keep building up those hills, keeping the roots and tendrils covered, which will produce more potatoes and keep them from getting sunburned.

When it’s time to harvest, just slowly drive over the top of the vegetation, running the middle buster through the bottom of the hill. Your potatoes will pop right up to the surface. The same process will work with other root vegetables, such as carrots, beets, onions, parsnips, etc.

And remember, always read the Operator’s Manual before operating any piece of equipment and follow all operating and safety instructions.