Heavy groung, and clots of clay

Bruce from Can. · Nov 24, 2017

Alright who else farms heavy ground? Most of my home farm is heavy clay, only thing that makes me glad we get winter, frost breaks of clots of clay. We can grow some really good crops on this land but it takes a different approach than what I was raised with. I have to fall plough, and stay off in the spring till the day before planting. And no manure spreading in spring time, too much compaction. Tried just chisel ploughing the first few years I had this farm, suffered a lot of yield drag. I used to plough with my 966 IH, but couldn't keep the front tires on the ground, and it would come to a complete stop and rare up and spin, lol. I know plough with the Kubota M6 4wd with the loader to keep the front end down, and diff lock is my friend. This field will be planted back to hay in the spring. I like being able to look into the mirror to watch the dirt rolling over, instead of having to sit side ways with my head cranked back all day. Now if I could just do something about the crusty old fart I see in the mirror, lol

NY 986 · Nov 24, 2017

I farm a wide variety of soils but but by volume the majority of it is clay. We at present do not get enough cover crop action or hay rotation to keep the organic matter content where it needs to be. Freezing action during the winter is insufficient when OM is too low in my opinion. Some clays around here (Collamer) are suitable for a wide variety of crops including vegetables but the Odessa's here are best for small grain and soybeans if not growing grass/ legume mixes. Hay growers are numerous enough at present that we don't see the big price years like we did a decade ago. I wish that grandpa had settled a few miles further west in this area to be in good quality vegetable ground. Oh well.

Tech 7 · Nov 24, 2017

It looks somewhat loomy to what we have around here. One joke is that you could hook a chain on the end of a furrow slice and pull the whole thing out.
Lots of no-till happens around here for that reason and it will work well neighbours have been all no till for close to 30 yrs.
I still don't mind plowing but don't miss the 880 MF plow in stalks.

Paul from MI · Nov 24, 2017

I was born and raised in Richland County Ohio farming heavy black waxy clay just like that. Only way to handle it was to fall plow and let it freeze out. We grew some good crops, but it had to be handled right to do it. Meant some cold days on Dad's old Allis getting the plowing done.

Brown Swiss · Nov 24, 2017

I got clay and hills just to make matters worse.

David G · Nov 24, 2017

Here is an article on no till

http://www.cornandsoybeandigest.com/soil-health/no-till-beats-tight-clay-soils

Let nature bust the clay up.

casecollectorsc · Nov 24, 2017

I see the hydraulic accumulator like JI Case used on their 3300 reset plow. Is yours hyd. reset also??

SVcummins · Nov 24, 2017

Plowing some pretty heavy ground even the garden has some white clay

IaGary · Nov 24, 2017

Do you really call them clots of clay? Or is that a typo?

Around here we call them clods.

Don-Wi · Nov 24, 2017

Lots of clay here too. A fair amount of chisel playing around here, but still a bunch of moldboard plowing as well. I actually saw a brand new Kuhn plow at the dealer 2 weeks ago.

Was pretty impressive and looks like it would take a very stout tractor to pull.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Bret4207 · Nov 25, 2017

Those who don't farm clay simply have no appreciation for nice, well drained, loamy/sandy ground!

rdandersom · Nov 25, 2017

My wife's family farm on ugly yellow clay between Chatham and Blenheim Ontario. Where a 4020 simply cannot pull 5 bottoms and you can loose a yardstick in the cracks in the ground in August. When I was in college her grandad let me plow a bit one saturday. He had a Massey Harris 33 and a 2 bottom plow. He told me to keep it in first. The farm I grew up on was silt with clay knolls. Though we had 100 yards of blue clay in the back corner that wouldn't work up in spring unless fall mouldboard plowed.

Heavy groung, and clots of clay

Bruce from Can.

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NY 986

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Tech 7

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Paul from MI

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Brown Swiss

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David G

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casecollectorsc

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SVcummins

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IaGary

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Don-Wi

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Bret4207

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rdandersom

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