Discing & Cultivation

[Mingy]

Hello all & thanks in advance

I am trying to start farming, mostly to help pay for the equipment I bought in order to farm. I am planning on growing hay.

My local seed dealer told me that I need to disc my (weed) field twice, then cultivate, befor they seed, then I pack after they seed.

I bought the gear, but I've never see anybody discing or cultivating a field.

I have (among other things) a Kubota M9000, a disc, and a cultivator. The disc has basically two rows of smooth discs at angles to each other with a pile of rocks in a box in the middle. It has wheels that go up and down. I have no trouble pulling the disc in 4Low, but it gets a bit bumpy.

The cultivator has a bunch of basically pointy springs. Its a 3PH model.

Last night I disced an acre or so. At least I think I did. All the pictures I've found show what look like plowed fields being disced, so you end up with almost a rototiller action.

My fields are basically weeds (goldenrod, ragweed, etc.). The areas I disced are flattened, but there only appears to be 'slits' in the ground a few inches apart. The discs sit about a couple inches into the ground.

Am I doing this correctly? I was sort of expecting a 'plowed' effect (soil on top). Is what I am getting ok?

When I disc a second time, should I go at cross angles?

What does the cultivator do?

Thanks for any advice.

Mingy

 

[RalphVa]

A disc won't cut very deeply into the soil unless its been softened by recent rains but not too wet to be soggy. In the old days, we plowed, disced and then ran a harrow over it to finally smooth it out.

Go crossways (90 degrees) in the second discing. Hopefully, that will tear it up pretty good. I'd pull a harrow or an old set of bed springs or something to smooth out the ground behind the disc.

Don't know why they told you to use the cultivator. Doubt it'll do much more than what the disc does.

Last step is to get a 3ph spreader to spread seed.

Ralph

 

[kthompson]

The angle of the disk gangs should be adjustable. The sharper the angle the better they should cut hard ground which is worse with weeds or grass on it. If it has not been "worked" in a long time I would suggest you over lap your disking, make first pass and then mover over about 50% of the width keeping half of the blades on dirt you just disked and the other half on ground being disked first time. The will be disking it twice as you go across it one time but a big benefit is one set of tractor wheels in on dirt you just disked and should be easier ride.

If you are leaving a furrow in your disking and you run at a 90 degree angle you will really be bouncing. If no furrow then 90 degree is great if furrow make it more like 45 degree and the tractor will be more like a rolling than hard hitting in those furrows.

On the cultivator, well I think you are talking about what is called here a "field" cultivator. Does it have "rolling baskets" on the rear? If so that is for really breaking up and leaving a very smooth and level field. Some disk in certain types of dirt can leave a very smooth field but field cultivators really can be great. You will need to run it at a slight angle to your last disking for same reasons I told for second disking. Try to have this be the direction you will be running on for planting as you will want tractor to be running smooth when using spreader.

You mentioned packing it after seeding...you may need to but here you don't see that done in fields, yards and golf course some but you can take your disk and set it for only about 2 to 4 inches of depth (soil will be very soft now so watch this) and run over it after being seeding and that will work the seed into the ground very well. But you be sure in your area this will work. Farmers can tell you in a hurry.


I have M6800 and I pull my disk also on wheels in high range 1 or 2 nd gear. But that will depend on grade, size of blades, soil and as you mentioned how rough it is. You do need some speed to break up the dirt.