Need to plow, disc, plant winter wheat NOW

[lhfarm]

To get ready for a spring burn of our praire grass, the Fed Wildlife guy wants me to build a fire break of winter wheat. Our meadow is surronded by woods on 3 sides. I have a 2 bottom plow, a 6' disc and I may be able to get an old pto spreader working. The break line is only 20' wide and the meadow is only about 4 acres.

How "fine" does the seed bed need to be for winter wheat? How much time do I have (located about 40 miles south of Indianapolis) to get the ground prepared? I don't have access to a drill, so can I broadcast with my spreader?

Any advice - including plowing with a HST and R4 tires? Ground is poor/clay. Help!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

You can just use the spreader if you want. However, talk to your county ag office. They might rent or know who rents drills. Our county ag office has a 5' and a 8 or 10' no till drill they rent out for just a few dollars a acre.

For what you are going to do you don't have to worry too much about having a good seed bed. If you were going to maximize your crop you would want a firm seed bed to drill the see into. But since you are only growing a firebreak just work the ground up and toss it on and run a small chunk of chain link fence over it to cover the seed.

 

[Egon]

As per previous post. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You may be faster just broadcasting the seed for area involed.

Egon

 

[hudr]

I don't know about Indiana, but here in East Texas we just planted about 30 acres with winter pasture (Wheat, rye, etc). We hit it with an Aerator first, spread the seed with a spreader truck then hit it again with the Aerator and a chain harrow. If it weren't for the army worms, we would have a good stand by now. Main reason we did the aerator was to trap any moisture that might fall. We are bad dry here now, almost 20" behind in rain.

 

[KentT]

I'll second Robert_in_NY's point that you don't need a drill or spreader to sow it. I just sowed 100 lbs of winter wheat and 50 lbs of annual ryegrass by hand, in late September. It took about 2 hours -- certainly not worth buying or even renting significant equipment for.... Wheat seed are pretty large, and quite easily spread.

I sowed mine for a temporary ground cover to prevent erosion, on soil that had just been bull-dozed. With no additional prep, but just lightly mulching it with old, spoiled hay (also used hay bales as silt barrier), I got a very good stand... much better than I anticipated, so I may have gotten it too thick in some areas.