cultivator, disk, or spike harrow

[Farmwithjunk]

I have never had to use a spike tooth drag. We use to use a drag that we made. It was made by connecting a few wooden pallets and attatching a chain link fence on the bottom of the pallets.

Thereafter, we started to plow, disc, cultipack, broadcast seed, and cultipack versus plow, disc, broadcast and drag.

In our experience with clover and alfalfa (and probably even with cereal grains) we got better germination without dragging. I think the key word in dragging is "light". A little bit of cover goes a longgggggggggggg way.


P.S. I don't think anyone is trying to be foolish, just trying to let Sedmond know that our recommendations with regard to using a harrow disc to lightly break up the topsoil prior to broadcasting seed will work.

I've had fair success with wheat and barley by broadcasting, then running over it with a disc set at 0 angle. Beyond that, dragging or harrowing in grass/clover/alfalfa has caused less than stellar results in my experience. Most grasses prefer to remain at or very near the surface, just pressed into the soil for positive soil contact. They require sunlight. Burying seed, even an inch below the surface, can inhibit germination in some cases.

To whom it may concern;

No clue as to anyone, outside of the possibility of Skervy, having "an agenda". I sure don't feel like anyone has breached any sacred commandments in this thread (so far) Different people come here with different stratagies. Mine is to learn, hopefully help someone else learn, and to ENJOY myself. Sometimes that entails a little more "mixing it up" than others feel appropriate. If that aplies to you, or anyone else, simply skip over the parts that you feel inappropriate. If it flies past the mods, surely it can pass muster with the general membership. This site ISN'T always so all fired serious that we can't have a little joshing around from time to time. Granted, this thread did come dangerously close to crossing a line at one point. Fortunatly, cooler heads prevailed. Too much valuable and/or interesting info contained with-in to have it deleted.

 

[funny farmer]

Thanks f.w.j. your full of valuable information and I can tell that you have lots of experience. What people appreciate is your eagerness to help people out on this website. You've put a lot of time, just with your setting up a plow thread and other threads. I've gotten a lot of valuable ideas off of many people on this website and I'm glad we have it. B.t.w. when are you going to post your plow pictures from this year. I'm really interested in learning how to start a field. The ones I did were square, but the one I'm doing next year has a lot of different angles in it. I started on the outside and worked my way in, but now I'm thinking I should've started on the inside. But how do you know where the middle of the field is? Oh, and that guy that has broke back mountain for a avatar, he's just looking for attention.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Thanks f.w.j. your full of valuable information and I can tell that you have lots of experience. What people appreciate is your eagerness to help people out on this website. You've put a lot of time, just with your setting up a plow thread and other threads. I've gotten a lot of valuable ideas off of many people on this website and I'm glad we have it. B.t.w. when are you going to post your plow pictures from this year. I'm really interested in learning how to start a field. The ones I did were square, but the one I'm doing next year has a lot of different angles in it. I started on the outside and worked my way in, but now I'm thinking I should've started on the inside. But how do you know where the middle of the field is? Oh, and that guy that has broke back mountain for a avatar, he's just looking for attention.

I appreciate the vote of confidence. I had the good fortune in life of knowing a few old farmers who passed on what they had learned over the years. Now I'm trying to do the same. What I've learned isn't always the best way, or the only way, it's just ANOTHER way that I know worked in at least one instance.

I'm still hoping to do the "how to plow" thing later this winter. I'm having issues with my camera now. When I plowed the 18 acres behind the house, I took about 100 photos. Now I can't get them downloaded.

I've been known to "pace off" a field to find the approximate center. Nothing beats a keen eye though. My dad could drive a tractor into a field, drop the plow and go. As he finished up, he would almost always end up with the exact same lands on each side of the field.

By his second post, I pretty much had Skervy pegged. At that point, it became a game. He wanted attention.... He GOT attention. Just not sure it was the kind he WANTED. There was some validity to SOME of what he said as it applied to SOME cases. But once he started shouting about what all he knew and how little anyone else knows, it was time to stomp out the fire!

 

[RobJ]

A 2x6? Are you kidding? That's just boring. Why use something cheap when you can get something expensive with lots of moving parts, springs, wheels, hydraulic hoses, bearings, grease fittings and shiney paint? How will the economy in China rebound if we use a $6 board in place of expensive implements made of scrap metal from the US?

Rob knows I'm just kidding, but in all seriousness a 2x6 is a bit low tech. I use a 6x6 with chain link fence wrapped around it. That's high tech!

Let me bounce back and sort of correct myself on this. I have dragged it with a homemade spike harrow, skid, etc. BUT this year I did two places, dragged one and ran the disk (that useless tool) over it about 2" deep, very light. It completetly covered the seed...as you would expect, and pretty much 100% of it came up. On an area right next to it maybe 50% as a lot of the seed (oats) was on top of the ground.

Now this won't work in this case( turning a complete field) and dragging is a lot faster (I usually use an ATV), but covering the gets it gowing better. Clover might not need much cover, but straight disking and a light drag would probably be enough. We are to hot for clover down here.

 

[blueriver]

We are to hot for clover down here.

How far down there are you? We like our first cutting of hay, it has the clover.

 

[RobJ]

How far down there are you? We like our first cutting of hay, it has the clover.

Middle east Texas. We try planting the stuff for deer plots, it might come up, but will usually die off quickly. Most of that "deer mix" stuff is not geared for the south IMO. OAts and Rye will usually do ok but after the prime time for hunting. Where we use to hunt in the same general area the land owner would plant rye about 10/1, get 2 cuttings and about March or so let the cows have run of it. This was not overseeded rye but a full disk up, plant, fertilize. I think he was getting a little over 100 5x5 round bales on 30 a-cres. I remember a couple years the rye would be knee deep in late november, you could barely walk in it. I shot a deer in it and when he went down I had trouble finding him!

Rob

 

[bigdeer2000]

In middle tennessee i have had my best results planting clover by disking, dragging,planting then cultipacking. clover seed down here doesn't like to be covered in dirt. It does best planted in the fall so it has some time to grow before the dry hot summer. If rye grass ever gets in one of my clover plots it will soon take over without intervention. If the rye goes to seed it is tough to get ride of. Anyway that is the process i have found that works best for me. Luckily clover seed is small enough that the turkeys don't get it before it sprouts.