Bush and bog harrow What exactly are and why ! Advise needed !

[KingDelta5]

Hello ! I recently bought a john deer 790 27 hp 2wd 150 hr tractor fonteer 4 ft bushog a woods 3 point stump grinder and a woods bbs 60 box blade ! We own inherited a property that my grandfather bought and cleared in 1950 ! My grandfather origianly had a brand new cub and 6 kids ! They they cut burned pulled and blew up stumps ! Granddad won another cub in a card game also bought a new ford tractor I know that he also owned a bunch of attachments ! Granddad died in 1960 ! My uncle farmed and mowed abt 30 acres of the property untill the mid 70s ! Then pine trees sprung up and grew well ! looked as though they had been planted on purpose ! Family sold the pine trees in 89 ! Loggers clearcut rutted up and messed up the drainage here ! Now the place looks like what it did in 1950 again except trees are not as big ! Now have pine trees sizes ranging from 0 to about 24 inches ! Some hard wood mixed in here and there !Gum and water oak mainly ! The land has done a good job of leveling itself and building up good topsoil ! ENOUGH HISTORY
I am in the process of cutting the trees stacking them and grinding the stumps below grade about 6 to 8 inches where i want to start raising row crops ! I think after I clear and grind the stumps I can pull discs to help and chop any roots and stump pieces ! ! I do not want to rut up and destroy the topsoil any more than necessary ! The pine tree roots and stumps ought to rot awful fast any way ! Here in South louisiana it is terrible hot and wet most of the year ! I dont give a danm about pine trees gum trees or water oak I`m gonna stack them let them rot for compost! All the energy stored in them to be put back in the ground To grow tomatoes eggplant and the like ! I need advise on what other people think ! As how to go about this and the best most economical equipment ! i would like to buy a chipper next ! I already have a mountain of trees limbs and brush and have hardly started ! THANKS !

 

[TripleR]

We used one on "new ground" often pulling it with a steel wheeled Allis Chalmers tractor as the tires on a regular tractor would get torn up. Some people go in with a breaking plow, but we didn't as it kept getting stuck in stumps, buried roots etc. Reclaiming forested land took several years for us, but that was a long time ago, there may be a better way now that doesn't include hiring a dozer.

 

[KingDelta5]

Thanks for the reply ! I wonder why steel wheels are not used often now ! I am sure they would come in handy ! I work with a fellow who took some time off from work to make and sell hay during the drought about 2 years ago ! He bought the grass everywhere he could ! He did well but he kept the tire dealers happy also ! It wa\s cash money and the people from texas would supply the trucks all he did was cut bale and load !

 

[Soundguy]

tight angled single gang harrow usually

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...0641-bush-bog-harrow-bradentonbeach-20119.jpg

 

[8n Bruce]

Isn't there a" Ground pulveriser?" ,like an extra wide stump grinder to go on dozer/skid steer ,goes 6-8 inches deep ,to clean up cleared land for planting/pasture. Heard about this from local farmer,he told me it was about $900/Hr by the people he had hired. Was sure I saw one for sale used once,about 5 feet wide& if I remember right $5,000.00 . It might be a forestry implement.

 

[TripleR]

Thanks for the reply ! I wonder why steel wheels are not used often now ! I am sure they would come in handy ! I work with a fellow who took some time off from work to make and sell hay during the drought about 2 years ago ! He bought the grass everywhere he could ! He did well but he kept the tire dealers happy also ! It wa\s cash money and the people from Texas would supply the trucks all he did was cut bale and load !

I think a lot of people opt for foam filled now as steel wheels are really rough riding and tear the ground up pretty bad. We had some clearing to do this summer and rather than spending a lot of down time on our tractors, we rented a tracked skid steer.

 

[Singalo]

I FIND MYSELF WONDERING IF YOU KNOW WHAT !!!!!!! MEANS!!!!! =)

YOU REMIND ME OF THE HOST OF TALKING DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

 

[medic0648]

Isn't there a" Ground pulveriser?" ,like an extra wide stump grinder to go on dozer/skid steer ,goes 6-8 inches deep ,to clean up cleared land for planting/pasture. Heard about this from local farmer,he told me it was about $900/Hr by the people he had hired. Was sure I saw one for sale used once,about 5 feet wide& if I remember right $5,000.00 . It might be a forestry implement.

I think what you're talkimg about is a forestry mulcher.

 

[kebo]

I often wondered myself about a bush & bog harrow. It seems to be just the front half of a regular old double gang disc harrow. In fact, occasionally you will see a double gang disc harrow that is hinged in the middle so you can raise up the rear half. This obviously will put more weight on the front half that will be discing the ground. I guess that is the advantage, being able to get more weight per disc for a deeper, more aggressive cut.

As for grinding the stumps down to about 6 to 8 inches, I am not sure that will be deep enough to make the property nice enough to plant row crops. Inevitably, in some places the dirt/top soil will wear down thinner over a stump and expose it. If the ground is very level, that may not be too bad of a problem, but if there is grade or slope to it, erosion could expose a number of the stumps that you grind down below grade. Plus, you might be surprised at how long a pine stump will last underground, especially if it has a lot of sap in it and it becomes fat lighter.

Also, pine trees leave a lot of acid in the soil, it's likely you will have to go real heavy on the nitrogen to get the ph level back in a good range, at least to start off with. I don't know about using composted pine trees as mulch in a garden though, it might work well, might not. You should probably consult a knowledgeable horticulture person about that.

As for the forestry mulchers, there are plenty of videos on youtube to watch those machines in action. They are impressive, but they are not cheap though!

Just wondering, but are you planning to try and restore the 30 acres you mentioned, for gardening? Or will it be less than that? Might be good if you could post a few pic's of the property too. Good luck.

 

[KingDelta5]

The ground here is pancake flat . and yes I want the fields back ! I will post pics soon . tnx for reply