# How to model HO scale farmland crops?



## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

Hi,

I am modeling a west virginia countryside layout...

How can I create a crop field easily but realistically? Say about A5 size? 

Kiong


----------



## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

Pick up the Oct issue of Model Railroader and there is an article on modeling fields in N scale...you can convert this to HO. Some nice cheap tips that do look good. Give it a shot!


----------



## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

What kind of crops? Hay could be done with grass tufts (only need to model a little bit standing, have the rest chopped down and getting rolled up.) Who needs a good excuse for some fine detail pieces. A tractor and a bailer would look cool.

You can also do soybean fields (or cotton or other low lying crops) really easy.

Just glue together 4 tongue depressors or coffee stirrers into a square. The height of the square would be the desired length of the row if crops. Take some standard thread in a green color and wrap it around the square, spacing each wrap from the next by 1/8" spray adhesive on the string and apply ground foam. If you space the rows just right the adjacent rows should have just enough glue between them to hold together, but still look like individual rows. Simply run an exacto over both ends of each side and you should have created (2) small square patches of crops in a row. Add sprinkles of white for cotton, or place HO scale pumpkins for a pumpkin patch.


----------



## petey (Aug 12, 2012)

*Crop Fields*

I believe Busch puts out various crop overlayments. Check Walthers site.


----------



## waltr (Aug 15, 2011)

Lots of options available here:
http://www.scenicexpress.com/


----------



## joed2323 (Oct 17, 2010)

What type of crop field are you looking to make? You can easily make freshly tilled rows using cardboard, just make sure you get one side damp enough so you can sepearate the cardboard into 2 halfs, that way you get the middle part of the cardboard to show, as in the ridges of the cardboard (rows)


----------



## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

The cotton using coffee stirrer seems interesting, got a work in progress picture to share? I cant really visualise the method mentally...

Cheers
Kiong





sstlaure said:


> What kind of crops? Hay could be done with grass tufts (only need to model a little bit standing, have the rest chopped down and getting rolled up.) Who needs a good excuse for some fine detail pieces. A tractor and a bailer would look cool.
> 
> You can also do soybean fields (or cotton or other low lying crops) really easy.
> 
> Just glue together 4 tongue depressors or coffee stirrers into a square. The height of the square would be the desired length of the row if crops. Take some standard thread in a green color and wrap it around the square, spacing each wrap from the next by 1/8" spray adhesive on the string and apply ground foam. If you space the rows just right the adjacent rows should have just enough glue between them to hold together, but still look like individual rows. Simply run an exacto over both ends of each side and you should have created (2) small square patches of crops in a row. Add sprinkles of white for cotton, or place HO scale pumpkins for a pumpkin patch.


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

could always use coffee grounds (non scented?) for mounds of dirt or other similar areas (fresh plowed fields that have not been planted in but where the dirt has been turned over)

not sure if it will work for what you want but its a thought!!!


----------

