Reclaiming a long-lost field

[dave1949]

Good Evenin Dave,
Boy I thought we had rocks ! :laughing:

Huge undertaking, now you can realize how much work land clearing was years ago, talk about labor intensive...

Any idea how long it will take to turn that into a quality hay field ?

As I said in an earlier post, will be following your progress !

Scotty, I have never done anything like this. It could turn out sort of well, or it could be a fool's errand. It's going to take a couple years I'm sure. I figure it can't be any worse than buying an old sailboat no matter what happens. :laughing:

I am curious to see what I will be starting with once the clearing work is done. I'll take soil samples of course, but I can imagine lots of lime and nitrogen building is going to be needed. I might need to begin with a good heavy York rake to clean-up stones and woody debris in the top 3-4 inches.

I have found several old broken off spring-tooth harrow tines here and there. Apparently someone in the past did try some tillage, but I don't see a plow ever working well here. I am thinking along the lines of a disc harrow, set to cut not too aggressive in case it hits rocks, followed by a spike-tooth drag harrow.

 

[jeff9366]

Apparently someone in the past did try some tillage, but I don't see a plow working here.

If your top soil is thin, you do not want to disturb the subsoil too deep. However, if you decide plowing might be useful, say to turn under a cover crop or two, consider a Disc Plow. Disc Plow is NOT a Disc Harrow. Monroe Tufline still manufactures Disc Plows. I also see "Dearborn" (Ford) Disc Plows fairly often on Craig's List and eBay.

Advantage of a Disc Plow is that it TENDS to roll over roots and rocks, which would stop a Moldboard Plow or possibly break/bend the points.

Disadvantages of a Disc Plow is that it tends to leave plowed field rougher than a Moldboard Plow and the furrows are often a bit wobbly, the more roots and rocks, the more wobbly the furrows.

Agriculture TDP Disc Plows - Monroe Tufline

Used Dearborn 2 Disc Turning Plow 3 PT Hitch We SHIP Cheap and We SHIP Fast | eBay

Ken Sweet usually monitors T-B-N closely, but he still farms so may not be as active here in the Spring. I have purchased from Sweet Tractors and found their refurbished equipment accurately described and Ken helpful after the sale with instruction if needed.

 

[dave1949]

jeff9366, Thanks for that info. Looks interesting. The top soil is thin and quite variable in depth here, and what's below it is very poor seed conditions and infertile. In places where the subsoil has been exposed nothing, not even weeds, can get started without some mulch cover. Having grown up in NW Ohio, it still amazes me to see a patch of bare ground that stays bare.

There are some hay fields around me so I know it's possible. I think it takes some soil building to get started. Red clover likes to grow here. Some clover and timothy growing, some steers eating and pooping, I think that would be an ideal way to build up some soil fertility.

 

[dave1949]

It was a bit of a wait but the field clearing began today.

The morning was taken up with pulling some stumps in a small clearing near the house and cleaning up the sides of the lane going back to the field.

This afternoon was when the field clearing got started. Step One is to go completely around the perimeter in a band about 50' wide cleaning up and straightening the edges a bit by ripping out trees that are sticking out. The stumps and general tree trash are being piled for later moving to the the stump dump area.

We also picked a location for a rock dump. Plenty of rocks. The contractor has a use for the solid (good condition granite, not flakey shale) 3'-5' boulders in a lakefront shore stabilization project. He has been collecting rocks here and there this summer from various projects. I told him take all he wants and I'll throw the good riddance party. :laughing:

I'll get some pics tomorrow. Feels good to get started.

 

[dave1949]

The next week or so is going to be a lot like below. Dig and pile stumps, rake with the dozer pushing the debris to the piles. (Deere 450) The piles will get loaded on a truck and driven across the field to the stump dump area, dumped and then roughly graded with the dozer.

This area was mostly clear before starting.


Lots of piles of roots an stumps.


After first bulldozer pass with the rake on the blade. The stones on the right are where the rock dump will be. I need a place to put rocks, 'cause I will be picking them for the next several years no doubt. Some rocks will go in the stump dump too. I asked that they be near the bottom of the pile as much as possible. That would put them 10'-15' below the finished stump dump grade--never to be seen again--by me at least. :laughing:


Example of cleaning up and straightening edges. Have to watch for yellow jacket nests, they love edges. Two so far but no stings.

 

[Larro Darro]

Looking good. Are you going to plant grass when this job is finished? Hay or just graze?

Very nice looking hills in the background. I bet your legs are in good shape. You have more rise in about twenty feet than I do in my whole quarter mile.

Larro

 

[dave1949]

Looking good. Are you going to plant grass when this job is finished? Hay or just graze?

Very nice looking hills in the background. I bet your legs are in good shape. You have more rise in about twenty feet than I do in my whole quarter mile.

Larro

My goal at this point is grass hay, which I think goes with developing healthy pasture. The hay around here is mixed grass hay for the most part.

This is new to me and I have tons to learn, so feel free to chime in with ideas.

I have a lot rock picking and smoothing with a drag to do before spending a lot on seeds. I need soil samples and amendment recommendations from the local extension agent once I have the soil test results. Guessing from what and how I see stuff growing now, it needs lime and nitrogen. Maybe the first planting is primarily a soil builder and time for the lime to do its thing before planting the desired crop.

The top of the knob behind the excavator is 1,480' above sea level. The field is about 600' elev. We spend most of our time within 50' elev. of the field on a fairly flat section of ground. Legs are not good. :laughing: From the back of our lot, it begins sloping up that hill. The hills do make a nice back drop. We considered building in that area but it would take a longer driveway than we wanted to deal with in winter, plus getting power back there would be expensive.

To see the hills requires a large opening or the trees hide them. Boy does the winter wind howl across that opening some days. The trees seem to funnel the wind through the fairly narrow entrance lane too.

 

[Larro Darro]

I have lots of hay and grass experience, but I doubt I know anything about what it would take up your way. I had a hayfield that has since been planted in pines that had a little sandstone. That is about all the rock I have ever had to deal with. And that was just on the sides of a big depression where there had been erosion.

Larro

 

[dave1949]

Some update pics of the stump dump area. It's going to be a tight fit to get them all in one area. I think it will go from being a dip to a mound. I have hopes. :laughing:

This is the stump dump area before.


About the same view now with some stumps added.


From the side near the top of stump dump area.

 

[dave1949]

Part of my rock collection. There is a 1/2 acre area that was never a field because it was full of these. There are some that won't be dug out because they are too big.



This roughly 1/4 acre corner has always been a wet spot. I don't know if it is just the water collecting after draining down off the higher area, or it is being helped by a seep. In many places the ledge (bedrock) isn't very far down, so water is trapped on top of that and drains down slope more than just straight down.