Plowing/RotoTilling old fields

Hi all, Its been awhile since I was on and a lot has changed. I am now living on my farm and making preperations for actually planting in the spring. I have been doing some research and reading, and wanted some "Professional" opinions. My farm has not been farmed in at least 25 years. I have tested the soil and the soil is VERY VERY good, but as I said it has not been farmed. This fall I was planning to plow and harrow everything I plan to plant in the spring, and was wondering... given that it hasn't had that done in years... if it would be a good idea to use a rototiller as well. I have the time and I think I can pick up a decent Roto-tiller between now and then. I could just plow it several times as well. Any Ideas?
 
I've rototilled sod before and it just chops the roots into pieces which quickly grow back, it doesn't bury the grass like a good, deep plowing.
 
I have always heard the the rototillers were to be avoided. A few years ago I saw where a large garden had been tilled and then we had a 3 inch hard rain,all of the tilled soil had washed away,leaving bare ground. It was bad,fall plow and let it sit over the winter. It will work great in the spring just do not work it wet,that will make a mess.
 
In our wet cold clay soil it’s best to plow it in fall, leave it rough.

In spring field cultivate it. Then plant. You could field cultivate a second time if you have a more mild winter or need to level more or kill weed flushes.

In more loam or sandy soil a disco can work instead of a field cultivator.

Probably want to harrow to really smooth the ground and kill sprouting weeds right before planting.

Paul
 
A lot depends on your area,what you plan to grow next year, slope of your fields etc. What condition are the fields in now? Around here (Upstate NY) fields that haven’t been worked in 25 years would be growing brush by now. If they have been kept mowed and are just grass/weeds I would start by getting them brush hogged . If they have much slope I would delay all tillage to spring. If you have areas that lay wet and you want to seed hay/pasture you may want to get going now and try to get it seeded soon. Now around here we just lately are getting a fair amount of rain and maybe more coming so it may get too wet for tillage pretty soon. Generally if you plow with conventional plows in the fall then leave it till spring, it may dry out a little earlier in the spring and winter freeze/ thaw will help break up harder clays. I would caution you about excessive tillage of any sort, you will just create soil compaction especially if some of the tillage is done when it isn’t dry enough. Post back with more details and you can get answers more specific to your plans.
 
In my area with Red Clay and a tough subsoil deep chisel plowing and pan breaking really pays off.Just tilling or plowing with a moldboard plow results in a hard pan under what is tilled or plowed that won't take water and limits plants to run roots deep in the ground.Only thing when you're hooked to a chisel plow running about 16" deep you better have about 20HP per chisel pulling it.
 
Thanks LK, I tried to send a response yesterday but my four thumbs messed it up. LOL The majority of my fields were kept cut down because the people who had the farm used it for a motorcross so they kept a lot mowed down. The old pasture is my overgrown issue.... In PA the Game commission/Forestry Dept. not sure which brought in a tree (scrub tree) called Russian Bloom/Orange to plant on old strip mines. It is invasive and has some nasty thorns, I have cleared about 2 acres of it and I just bought a NEW John Deer yesterday... (Something I have always wanted to do) So I'll be getting serious about clearing it out now. My soil is excellent, and I am hoping to turn it under this fall and plant corn in the spring. After that I want to alternate with (Probably) Soy Beans every other year and have a beef or two. If I can get a little more land I may be able to rotate a few more acres and maybe do enough to break even financially. I will retire for the 2nd time in another year so I don't need to do this for the money.... but I don't want to lose a ton either.. I grew up around farming, and have always dreamed of having my own so this is my "dream come true" albeit 50 years down the road.
 
Thanks Traditional Farmer, Red Clay? Alabama? Georgia? I have family down there and spent a lot of time in the Army so I have gotten to see lots of Red Clay. We don't have Red Clay in PA but we do have clay. My fields are really nice soil wise, I have plowed down about 8 inches and have nothing but good black soil... so I ma kinda excited to see how well it produces. At my old house out on the mountain we had about 2 inches of Top Soil and nothing but Clay & Rock after that so I know what that's like. I'll post some pics once I get some plowing done.
 
Based on your reply I would consider fall plowing, and delay further tillage till spring just ahead of planting. You may want to consider spraying roundup ahead of the fall plowing unless you are going organic. The combination of the spraying and fall plowing should help a lot with weed control next year. You have to wait at least 3 days between spraying and the plowing with best results spraying followed by sunnier weather so the roundup translocates into the roots .
 

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I bought a new 6' 3 pt. rototiller and used it once. Two impressions: Pulverizes the soil down a couple of inches or so...depth setting and speed dependent, and it can clog if you have much/lengthy vegetation. The comment about erosion is very true so keep that in mind in your decision. Good news is that if you run something like a Hay King Pasture Renovator over the field and then come back with your RT, you have a perfect seedbed, with depth/plowpan control, with only 2 passes.
 

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