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Tillage question

T

TDJD

Member
When I plow a hay field or grassy area that hasn?t been plowed in
years, and then run the disc over it to break it up and get ready for
seeding, the disc seems to bring out clumps of grass and you have to
go over it six or seven times to get it to a clean field. Is there some
other implement I can use, or can I make something to add on the
disc to get a cleaner field with less passes? Thanks
 
It helps to disk the first time in the same direction you plowed. This will help press the grass lumps down. Going against the grain and it tends to rip them out bringing the grass to the top. Might roll it down with a cultipacker fist too.
 
I use a chain harrow with the spikes pointing down and forward. Mine has a frame so it attaches to the 3 point hitch. I can pick it up at the end and dump anything it catches.
 
the proper way to do it is plow in summer when green that's your fertilizer. then can disc it in a week or so then work in fall and ready for spring planting. plus your not drying out the soil in the spring time with all those passes.
 
If you have time roundup in the fall or summer while still growing so the round up works well. Wait till killed down brown, Then run your disc over it a couple times to break up the sod, then plow it down. That being said I am currently disking down some sod that I didn't get at till too late last fall for the round up to work very well didn't have time to disc before plowing. Actually just finished plowing it before freeze up. This spring I went over once with the disc then hooked the chain harrows behind the disc for the 2nd and 3rd pass. This pic is what it looked like doing the second pass with harrows behind disc. Unlike other poster I have chain harrows angle back so it doesn't bunch up under the harrows, just kind of knocks it about and rattles the dirt off the grassy stuff. I am hoping the 3 passes with the disc and harrows is good enough to sew or as it is calling for rain for couple days good enough that I can run cultivator over it once without bunching up in cultivator.
cvphoto3058.jpg
 
You could use a packer connected right behind the plow. Check out the packers used with "pony" drills from years ago. Assuming you don't use a packer, you could keep your disc sections "straight" (not angled to cut in) for the first (and maybe second) time over the plowing.
 
Not sure of you location but in NE South Dakota we would not plow it at all In fact a plow is hard to find around here. No-til would be the preferred method.
 
I always figured reworking a hay field was a 2 year project. First year was rough and lumpy, planted to small grain. Second year you could actually smooth it out.
 
Most times you are not letting it break down before you RUSH in to disc. You rush out and plow and as soon as your done you drop the plow and hook to the disc. and away you go . NAH let it lay , then next up is you have and OLD light weight disc that the blades are slap wore out and to small and it just bounces over the clods and brings them up with out cutting thru them . Then the next thing you try and do it run a spring tooth harrow over it and it brings up more . So you get mad and disc again and again . Now you are COMPACTING the ground with each new discing . two best ways we have found is (1) take the hay off first then plow , lest trash to turn under and let it lay and dry out this also allows the weeds to start to come on and before they go to seed then disc it FULL CUT with nice big blades and added weight on the disc just one pass and let it dry . Do not grind it into powder . or (2) spray it after you take off a cutting of hay and let it burn down then turn it under and let it set and dry . You are probably also not running fast enough to turn the ground under and not running cover boards . Poking along in second gear maybe the old way of plowing and may look pretty on the cover of the magazine but leaves a LOT of green tips showing but this will also get you clods .
 
That would be good if you can find one of the size of your plow. With extra weight on the packer it should really mash the sod clods down.
 
People just don?t understand that especially the hobby farmers . Take it out for at least two years then put it in hay or grass again you can do it one year but it costs more and takes a lot more work than doing it the right slower way
 
It?ll turn lumps and rough plowing into a seedbed pretty quick but it?s not a cheap tool and it?s not cheap to run
 
What about a Hay King Pasture Renovator first pass after you get the hay off, or cut and bale undesirable forage and use if for erosion control? If really heavy compaction, like some I am helping with, hasn't seen steel for 40+ years, make an X with 2 passes over the field. Then a heavy weighted One Way dragging a spike toothed, chain harrow behind. Then regular disc again dragging the harrow, ready to plant.

I like to use freeze-thaw to pulverize sod and soil and soil I worked up in the summer, can be easily smoothed after such, after it dries, with light tillage equipment....I have a little Ford 2000, unweighted for that task. Agree that you have to let the soil dry out between steel trips to the field. I'm in heavy black clay snd moldboards just gum up when the soil is in the condition to let you plow it. The Pasture Renovator gets you by that problem.
 
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