Working up old crp ground (badly)

Hi, I am pretty green to field work...I am trying to turn over and work a small 4 acre field that was planted to smooth brome grass 15-18 years back. I was hoping to get a mediocre corn crop for my hogs and sheep. I have an Oliver 1550 and an Oliver 4240 3x16 pull plow. I am having a fiendishly difficult time getting this field plowed. I don"t have the horsepower to get much more than a 6" cut. I am plowing in 1st and sometimes use the hydro to keep rpm"s up. DO I just keep this up and then disk the tar out of it? Will this shallow plowing be able to create a good soil condition for a crop? What is my best case scenario for getting something in the ground this spring? Don"t hold back I can take it, and I want to learn. My antique neighbor lets me have it regularly for my "farming" idiocy.
 
Where abouts are you located, and what type of soil - clay, sand, loam?

Only thing ill critizise is if you are trying for a mediocre crop, that is the best you can get. ;)

Paul
 
Be prepared to deal with a lot of weeds if the field hasn't been worked in that many years. There will be a lot of weed seeds in the soil bank waiting to sprout.
Have a spray plan figured out and watch for the right timing.
 
Plowing it might of been a mistake. In my area, it would of been a whole lot smarter to spray the brome grass to kill it, leave the dirt alone, and plant the corn with a no-till planter. You would of had to know your chemicals and what they will do. That ground would of probly plowed alot easier next fall after the brome grass was long dead and the root system rotted up if ya just wanted to plow it. Sounds like it might be a little late for that now. Should of posted and researched it out before you started. Your probly going to end up with a clumpy mess now, no matter what you do.
 
Is their a local antique tractor club near you? If so have a plowing bee, invite them over for some kind of picnic and their favorite beverage and they will jump at the chance. What ever you have to spring for in food and refreshment, will pay you back three fold in knowledge.
 
Six inches is plenty deep for what you're doing and if you're tractor is still struggling I'd even bump it up to go shallower yet. Years ago five or six inches would have been considered a typical plowing depth. Many folks, me included, like to plow deeper but it really isn't necessary unless your trying to get under a hardpan layer which wouldn't be the case for you.
 
I don't know where your at but it is best to not work it to early if its clay. The most important thing is plowing it well. Poor plowing makes everything else more difficult. Working it too wet makes hard clumps that are almost impossible to work out and a poor seed bed. I've found a smaller plow going a little faster helps as it turns the furrow better and with a little more speed helps break the slice of each furrow up as it turns. Ideally a plowed field you can hardly tell where the furrows are, it will look pretty smooth across the field. If you had a neighbor with a two bottom it would be better. Good luck.
 
Fair enough. I"d like to have a bumper crop of corn. I have a lot to learn... My soils. I have not got a soil test done although I will soon. At the top of the slight slope it looks like a clay/loam, the body of the field is silt/loam, towards one end it changes to a slight oxisol (wet down there). I have about a 6 foot deep or more organic layer owing to it being level bottom land.

how do you know what are the best conditions for plowing, and later discing? I am concerned about soil structure.

The field was burned prior to plowing to reduce the amount of material on the surface.

I plowed about 1 acre last night, it turned nicely, although the coulters seem set for about a 10 inch cut, so they were not functional, I"ll change that today.
 
Sounds like you are getting there, enjoy the tractor seat time. ;)

Heavy deep soils a little wet are extra fun aren't they. Pretty much describes my farm. Makes good crops if you can work with them tho.

Paul
 
Assuming I can finish this plowing endeavor, what is the timing on the discing process, and is there a pattern that is better than another? I have a 10 foot jd and a bunch of barn beams for extra weight if needed.
 
What area are you in, and how many day corn are you planting (short or long season). Basicaly, count the number of days back from your typical first frost, acording to how many day corn you are going to plant. That is basicly the date you need to have your corn planted by. A rain or two on plowed ground before you disk ussualy helps desolve the clods and clumps. Kinda softens things up before you disc.You might not have time to wait for a rain or two. If not, your probly just looking at hitting it several times to get it worked down.
 
Probly gonna want to plant a short season corn. Like I said, just count the days back from your first typical frost in the fall. Corn should be done and in its dieing stage by the time your typical frost date rolls around in the fall. Where ever that plant date comes out on the calender is your deadline for planting. A short season corn should allow you some extra time to scratch around out there preping your field. Most guys that plow here, do it in the fall. Then work it up in the spring. You might consider that in the future if you decide to plow again.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top