Disc or Tiller

[kburtt]

I have an IH 574 with a front loader... I used a 2 bottom plow and plowed up 5 acres and now I need to determine what's next...I believe my steps listed below are correct. I have a 6' 3 pt disc and one 6' tiller and I'm looking at a used 10' transport disc... Something tells me I can use the tiller and not even use a disc (I'm concerned about the huge rocks I saw while plowing, plan on clearing what I can find) but I think I would like to get/use the 10' transport disc... What is the right thing to do? I'm trying to put in a new better hay field since it has been 15+ years since the soil was turned and the field contents are not so desirable right now... Would like to have horse, cattle, chickens and goats next year...

Any advise or suggestions?

Planned Steps...
1. Plow
2. Disc
3. Harrow
4. Till
5. Harrow
6. Plant

Thanks
Keith

 

[flusher]

I have an IH 574 with a front loader... I used a 2 bottom plow and plowed up 5 acres and now I need to determine what's next...I believe my steps listed below are correct. I have a 6' 3 pt disc and one 6' tiller and I'm looking at a used 10' transport disc... Something tells me I can use the tiller and not even use a disc (I'm concerned about the huge rocks I saw while plowing, plan on clearing what I can find) but I think I would like to get/use the 10' transport disc... What is the right thing to do? I'm trying to put in a new better hay field since it has been 15+ years since the soil was turned and the field contents are not so desirable right now... Would like to have horse, cattle, chickens and goats next year...

Any advise or suggestions?

Planned Steps...
1. Plow
2. Disc
3. Harrow
4. Till
5. Harrow
6. Plant

Thanks
Keith

Plant what? Last Oct I planted Kanota oats on my 5 acre hayfield. Flat pasture land that hadn't been farmed in decades. I cut the weeds with the brush hog, ran the 7-ft offset drag disc over it twice in criss-cross patterns and planted with my restored Minneapolis Moline P3-6 grain drill (10 ft wide, 20 drops). I'll be mowing, raking and baling in 3-4 weeks.

My soil is gravely and thin, so plowing is out.

 

[kburtt]

Just planting a mixture of a horse friendly forage... Orchard grass, clover, Timothy, etc... The field had a city of groundhogs, ivy, etc... Just a varity that is not the best for a horse... I plan on taking some soil sample to the local feed store for analysis, add what they recommend, etc... I was/am looking at getting a Woods Turf Renocator but that's a large expense that I'm not sure I want to take on... I just know the field of grasses I had were not the best and I want to make 'better' hay ...
Thanks
Keith

 

[MMagis]

The 10' disk would make the shortest work of it. All will work, just at different speeds.

 

[kburtt]

One question I do have... How long do I wait between the different steps? Once plowed wait until 'dry' (dirt flakes or crumbles) then disc or till and at that point I can move to the next steps...
Thanks
Keith

 

[Egon]

Just use the rototiller.

 

[sweettractors]

One question I do have... How long do I wait between the different steps? Once plowed wait until 'dry' (dirt flakes or crumbles) then disc or till and at that point I can move to the next steps...
Thanks
Keith

We usually wait for a rain between each step. Ken Sweet

 

[jagyzf]

The steps we use when re-seeding from weeds/grass to grass.

Round-up a few weeks before plowing or even the fall before
Plow
Disk
drag/harrow
pick stone
drag
roll/cultipack
seed
roll again across the direction of rolling the 1st time.

 

[flusher]

Just planting a mixture of a horse friendly forage... Orchard grass, clover, Timothy, etc... The field had a city of groundhogs, ivy, etc... Just a varity that is not the best for a horse... I plan on taking some soil sample to the local feed store for analysis, add what they recommend, etc... I was/am looking at getting a Woods Turf Renocator but that's a large expense that I'm not sure I want to take on... I just know the field of grasses I had were not the best and I want to make 'better' hay ...
Thanks
Keith

Find yourself a used 6-7 ft wide disc and a broadcast spreader. That's all you need for a food plot. Drag a log, steel pipe or tires behind the disc to break up the clods and smooth out the soil. Then broadcast your seed.
My neighbor gave me my 7-ft offset drag disc, another supplied the tires free and I bought the grain drill (actually two drills) from my neighbor for $275 plus about $100 in parts to refurbish the drill. Spent about $160 for seed.











You don't need to spend a lot of bucks to do food plots if you shop around for used implements and free stuff.

 

[sweettractors]

The steps we use when re-seeding from weeds/grass to grass.

Round-up a few weeks before plowing or even the fall before
Plow
Disk
drag/harrow
pick stone
drag
roll/cultipack
seed
roll again across the direction of rolling the 1st time.

Nice to see that you utilize the cultipacker for maximum germination and to prevent soil erosion,bust clods and prevent seed washout. You have a real good program. Ken Sweet