Moldboard Plowing Questions

Got a few small fields we are transforming into hayfields. Original plan was to roundup and no-till or disc and broadcast seed.

Keep in mind - on this farm, I'm the hay guy and my brother is the forestry guy.

So around these fields, where it's not safe for a tractor, the timber was harvested last summer. This spring, my brother had those areas
replanted with loblolly pines - all good.

What's not so good is now my potential hayfield is hemmed in with tree seedlings and I'm fearful of spray drift wiping out some them.

So what to do. We are the Saudi Arabia of rocks, from potato size to basketball size.

Can't say I want to spray now and ain't exactly excited about following my great grandfather's foot steps and amassing large piles of rocks!

But..... Am considering plowing - just to keep the peace.

Here's a question, how well will I fare with obliterating/killing the sod and existing growth via moldboard and disking? Once I smooth everything
down and seed, will the weeds come back with vengeance or will plowing give the seeds a head start - enough to mimic an application of round
up?

Planting a summer annual of teff grass.

Change plow gears a little.....

I've got a 2 bottom Ford moldboard plow that is 3 pt mounted. I have ALWAYS plowed in a straight line. These fields are irregular and some
have a bit of slope to them.

Can I make a turn of some reasonable sort with a 3pt mounted plow - or do I need to find a drawbar pulled moldboard plow or just find a way to
plow straight?

Hills - I'll be throwing the soil uphill. This is Ford plow is not a hillside plow. Any sage advice for hillside set-up or set up in general?

Thanks!
Bill

Trying to negotiate a curve while plowing with a 3 pt mounted moldboard isn't a easy task. Semi-integral or pull type moldboard is a better option.

If the plow is adjusted and performing correctly, you should get good results to kill what is being turned under. If its not performing correctly and green is showing, whatever that is, that will grow again most likely. If you seed heavily, and or use a generous cover/nurse crop, say like oats, its possible to get a good stand, but its also hard to imagine not spraying for weeds at some point, given they always seems to return. I've seen where a heavy population, on fertile soil where the PH was optimum, took nicely having shaded out the competing weeds, but you would have to monitor to see what needs to be done to control weeds. Around here, any soil that is disturbed, crab grass takes over rapidly, that stuff is hard to shade out.

You can plow with a curve, long sweeping curve, but nothing sharp. You'll have to lay out your headlands somehow and see what you'll get with how you plan to plow.

You may have other options, I know some areas of this place, plowing + lots of rock picking vs minimal tillage. I replanted a decent size lawn last year, after discing, if I had plowed, the rocks would have been numerous, with the disc, less than half a wheel barrow to pick up. There may be something ideal other than the above, and consider your location is different as well. see what the local cooperative extension or what have you there, in regards to a new hay crop.

How susceptible to Roundup are the Loblolly pines? Our pines here can be directly sprayed with it and not suffer. There are lots of choices of herbicides for broadleaf weeds that won't hurt a pine too. Ask where you would buy your sprays.

Around this area the local elevators have been adding bins. It's not because of great tillage practices. My father had to try to control weeds with tillage. It didn't work out too well.

Broke 3 pt lift arm trying to turn corner with 3 pt mounted plow. Don't turn very sharply or you may not like
results

I'd go for a heavy ripper or chisel plow and then disk,you'll bring up fewer rocks and less subsoil.Plus if you get some heavy rain it won't wash as bad.

Understood. My turns would be to the extent I'd make my way around the contour of a slight slope or a gradual/very large radius as the field irregularities dictate.

Thanks!
Bill

I had a moldboard 3-bottom I used with a crawler for years. I once tried to plow where I had mowed off small brush. Didn"t work, would pick up a big mess of roots, so I bought a bog harrow with 22 inch discs, 4 feet wide. I never used the plow again. I converted the angle to power with a hyd cylinder and built a weight box for it. It doesn"t catch on rocks under the surface like the MB and any that get turned up get thrown in the weight box. I made it out of the bottom of a 275 oil tank, hinged so I can dump it. The make of the harrow is Oliver. Bought it used about 60 years ago and it still works even tho one outside disc is half gone.

No need for roundup, use a weed killer instead, 2,4,D.
It's not a brush killer, should be OK on trees.

Cover-Boards ( or Jointers) will turn most everything down and cover it..

Without them, you will have green streaks growing much sooner..

Ron.

If your plow is mounted correctly, i.e. wheel spacing on tractor just right and line of draft allows plow to run perfect with out check chains (plow can swing on 3 point), you can make SLIGHT curves, no different than a pull type but I would just lay your lands out so you are plowing STRAIGHT

Doubt rr will hurt pines. I would just stay back 10 ft. Or so.

IF the existing soil surface is now smooth enough for hay mowing and raking operations, (that is no ridges of earth, ditches, gullies, groundhog mounds, etc.), you will be far better off by spraying to kill existing vegetation and use no-till drill to put seed into soil. Pick a day when wind is very light and you can spray right to the edge of the woodland without fear of drift of chemical spray.

Your plan of teff grass will be a this summer thing. It will die at frost so you will then need to seed a permanent grass/clover crop. Fescue or orchard grass is best established in September-October in... (I'm thinking you are in Virginia, correct?). Mow the teff whenever it is ready for first cut, allow it to regrow if it will. Get some regrowth then spray with Round up in late August and then no-till drill or broadcast spread fescue and orchard grass seed into the dead teff residue. It will be a mulch, conserving moisture and covering the ground to prevent erosion. With adequate rainfall you will get a great stand of grass started.

If your existing soil surface is in a rough unacceptable condition for mowing, then a new seedbed preparation is in order. Moldboard plowing is not necessary for establishing grass unless there is a tremendous amount of vegetation /crop residue to deal with. I would use a chisel plow, disk, and/or a field cultivator and then packer-mulcher to get surface smooth. Broadcast seed, then culti-packer roll seed in or use a conventional grain drill going two or three directions over field at one half or one third of seed needs at each pass to get good seed distribution evenly over the soil surface.
Good luck.