Tiller or Disc Harrow?

[Delphicoder]

Hi All.

I recently cleared a wooded area for a garden, and took out a lot of brush and several trees. I used by backhoe to dig out the stumps and larger brush clusters.

Next i took my box blade and lowered the shanks all the way, and made repeated passes, "ripping" up the mess of undergrowth roots. It all looks good so far, but there are still some roots leftover scattered about.

My question is, at this point I don't know if I should get a disc harrow, or a good rotary tiller. The harrow seems like it might cut the roots (they are not that big, most of them anyway). I like the tiller though. But will the tiller get hung up on some of the roots? All the dragging I did one would think it is tilled already haha, at least the first few inches.

Here is a pic, if it helps.

 

[LeadPoison]

The harrow really isn't going to cut the roots up too much. I would rake the area as much as possible to remove roots. Time is really your friend here. The vegetation will have to rot away.

 

[bp fick]

Agree with LeadPoison. Rake out as many as you possibly can. Roots wind around things and are a pain. Disks tend to ride over them. It'll take awhile to rid that patch of them.

 

[McGeesEquip]

If you wish to be able to use a rotary tiller this year instead of using a disc, then maybe you may want to consider another piece of equipment that you will still be able to use later.

Instead of purchasing a disc to use on your first cut to help with your root condition, you may want to think about either a subsoiler or a chisel plow. The subsoiler, or a chisel plow can help with your smaller root problem now, and it can be used in later years.

 

[survriggs]

I too agree with Leadpoison. I've tried a tiller around roots and it jumped around and at times got caught under a root. I have about a 1000' x 50' area where the county dozed the right-of-way and used a roadgrader to smooth it. There are lots of roots and I have been using a rock rake to prep it for planting. It pulls out the loose roots and the big exposed ones I have just chopped out. Someone else probably has a better solution but this worked for me.

 

[flusher]

I'd use a $150 middle buster/subsoiler (Tractor Supply) and your rototiller.

 

[Sterff]

Another option would be to remove as much roots as possible and then have some topsoil hauled in. That would be the easiest way to me. The soil you have doesn't look the best anyway.

 

[jenkinsph]

I think I would try to find someone with a larger tractor and chisel plow to go over your new garden area. That would break up the majority of the roots deep enough for you to handle yourself.

Make sure those tall trees don't shade your garden too much.

 

[foggy1111]

That pic looks allot like my land.

I have used most of the methods above. Currently, when opening up new plots, I get the stumps out then follow with a disc and then my tiller.

In the past I have used a sub-soiler (single shank ripper) to loosen up the roots....but also have gone from "de-stumping" directly to my tiller. Probably not a good practice.

On new land there are typically a few roots and rocks and other treasures to un-earth before running the tiller. This is about the only use I have for my disc anymore - prepping new ground. Then, going forward, my tiller generally gets the nod.

IMO....for small plots.....the single shank ripper may be the most cost effective prior to tilling.

 

[spruce Deere]

I love garden installs:thumbsup:

When I install gardens in spots like that, the rock bucket gets used alot to clean up the roots, sticks after I have ripped it from multiple directions like you have

In the condition the plot is in now, I would still purchase a sub-soiler with a tiller and rip the plot criss-cross with the sub-soiler first, box blade it smooth, pick bigger sticks and garbage out then till it.

Till it in a criss-cross pattern. Till one way, pick more sticks and garbage out then till cross how you tilled before. Tillers chop and grind WAY better than a disc harrow in one pass and leave a much better soil finish for gardening also.

It takes time to build a nice garden from scratch. Its good practice to sub-soil gardens every fall to let winter moister in and more nutrients into the ground to help build up the garden soil.