First Time Plowing an Area - recommendations and depth?

[rossn]

Hello,

I am plowing an area for the first time, in high clay content soil. I haven't plowed previously, so this is a new experience for me. I have a Massey GC1705 and an Everything Attachments single bottom plow... though I'm not sure what size it is (awful **** heavy!).

What depth is ideal, and is it better to do a single or double pass?
Ideally I would be tilling in some compost, if I can get my hands on a tiller. Should I top dress the area with compost before plowing?
How close should I plow, row to row?
Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[jeff9366]

Moldboard plowing is essentially a single pass, one time event. After the plow passes the ground will be rough, due to the furrows produced in the plowing process. You cannot plow a second time because crossing the furrows with tractor wheels will pull the plow out of the ground.

Let the ground dry, so the vegetation roots turned up, dry and die.

Moldboard plows are inflexible as to the depth they will turn sod correctly.

12" plow will work from 5" to 7" deep

14" plow will work from 6" to 8" deep

Plowing takes quite a while to learn. Highly satisfying activity when the earth inverts properly.

Then use the roto-tiller to level down the furrows, mixing in compost at the same time. It will take a tremendous volume of compost to ameliorate clay.

If you want ground smoother (i.e.: garden or pasture which will be mowed) succeed the roto-tiller with a chain harrow, an improvised drag or a Landscape Rake with gauge wheels.



FURTHER: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...oard-plow-wisdom-farmwithjunk.html?highlight=


VIDEO: How To Plow with a Compact Tractor - YouTube

Everything Attachments Compact or Subcompact Tractor Plow - YouTube

How to Use a Standard 12" One Bottom Plow - YouTube


What is your objective with the ground?

How large is the area you are working?

 

[bigtiller]

A 12" moldboard plow and garden tractor your size produces mixed results. If everything is perfect, results like the pic below are possible. This was done with a JD 2305 and Brinly 12" moldboard plow.

 

[rossn]

Thanks, guys - reviewing the videos now... had seen one of the previously.

Initially, I'm just putting down a small 4'x25' strip for fall vegetables... we just moved in, so this fall is just an experiment. The property has a lot of trees, so not expecting great sun through the fall and winter.

Out of curiosity, how is the plow measured/sized? I'm not sure what size I have, and that would be helpful to know.

 

[rossn]

From what I can tell, it is a 12". Fair to assume that each pass lines up with the edge of the last pass?

 

[jeff9366]

I believe the only size single-bottom plow ETA offers is 12".

Yes, each pass lines up with the edge of the former pass. Your right wheel will be in the previous furrow, so this alignment will occur automatically. (Note in the videos.) Tractor will be sharply canted over to the right.

You cannot plow in both directions. You must return to your starting point and plow in the same direction creating each new furrow. (Note in the videos.)

What tires are on your tractor? I hope R1 or R4 tires and not turf tires, which are usually too wide to fit in the 12" wide furrow created by the plow.

 

[newbury]

Also you might have to get more weight, either loaded tires or something. I've only plowed a little but it was with about a 14" single plow breaking ground in what had been a lawn for 60 years composed of clay that would be good for making pottery. I was using my M4700 (50 HP, ~6,000 lbs w/ FEL and weights) with loaded tires and many times I'd lose traction.

 

[CCWKen]

4x25'? I wouldn't even start the tractor for that. I'd just get the walk-behind tiller and do that in about 15 minutes.

I cut in a 50x150' pepper patch with the tiller primarily because I couldn't get the tractor around the trees. Took longer post-tilling prep than to till the whole area.

 

[rossn]

Unfortunately, it didn't go like it does in the videos. Clay was extremely dry and rock hard... making it down more than 3-4" was show stopping. So, I ended up using the plow, to some extent, more as a digging tool... once I'd get stuck, raise it up a little and break off the clay then try again. My rear tires are ballasted, and I have the R4 tires. I ran in 4wd and locking the differential... in spite of trying to get a running start, often came to a halt, either because of lack of traction or because I didn't have enough HP, and the engine would start to bog down. There could certainly be user error with the angle of the plow, etc., though it felt like I need 2000 lb more and 15 more horsepower. I do have the FEL attached... does adding some weight in it help, or only cause more problems? Sometimes the tractor started to pivot (versus go straight) due to the offset of the plow.

At this point, I've got an area that is sporadically plowed, and re-leveled it. Will go back to try to catch the spots missed, with my ghetto approach to plowing. I learned pretty quickly that all the looking back while getting jerked by the hard ground isn't the best on the neck!

Area is probably more like 6x35, and don't think this ground is going to be too friendly on a tiller.... yet.

 

[MHarryE]

You learned the plowing lesson the only reliable way - go out and try it in your soil condition. Asking on this web site can get you in deep trouble, as can watching videos, because of soil variations across the country. Even across the thousand plus acres we farm there is a huge variation although it is mostly a very heavy clay that breaks up like concrete chunks. No-till or min-till doesn't work in outer area. We need to beat it into submission before the ground freezes and let Mother Nature finish it off with freeze thaw cycles. Today I was plowing a newly rented field that has not been well managed. Very little top soil. Plowing deep brings up a clay with no organic material. I had t use a 4 X 16 plow at 4 mph. A half mile away I rent from the same owner a well managed field that I can plow at 5.5 mph with a 5 X 16. More topsoil and can plow an inch deeper. Plow design makes a difference. In front of my place I have an antique machinery display wth equipment salvaged from farms we have purchased. I have 5 plows sitting there. Two of the horse drawn plows have bottoms that just kind of lay the furrow over. Less power required. Our newer plows pull harder per unit of width but also break up the soil better so air and moisture can penetrate and do their thing. My father-in-laws farm in Missouri had thick rich bottomland soil that he plowed with 4 X 16 using a tractor with 30% less power. The soil just crumbled and didn't need any further preparation to make a good seed bed. So the primary thing you need to do is match you equipment to your soil. Why I am here in this miserable soil is a long story (I retired and decided to toss away our life savings helping my cousin on the farm on which I was raised). The land is cheap - $600 an acre. We rent land for no cash - give the owner a quarter beef or something similar. But in my first job as an engineer for one of the largest Ag manufacturers I got to travel the entire USA and discovered the soil variations from our hard clay to Montana's rocky soil to Washington's volcanic ash to the deep topsoil prairie of Iowa, Illinois, and Southern Minnesota. There is absolutely no single method fits all, not even close.

 

[jeff9366]

You need properly moist soil in order to plow.

FEL will not make any difference.

Tractor pivoting is from too dry soil and/or plow being incorrectly adjusted.

Plowing is an advanced implement skill. You do not have enough ground to learn how to plow properly.

 

[bigtiller]

Unfortunately, it didn't go like it does in the videos. Clay was extremely dry and rock hard... making it down more than 3-4" was show stopping. So, I ended up using the plow, to some extent, more as a digging tool... once I'd get stuck, raise it up a little and break off the clay then try again. My rear tires are ballasted, and I have the R4 tires. I ran in 4wd and locking the differential... in spite of trying to get a running start, often came to a halt, either because of lack of traction or because I didn't have enough HP, and the engine would start to bog down. There could certainly be user error with the angle of the plow, etc., though it felt like I need 2000' more and 15 more horsepower. I do have the FEL attached... does adding some weight in it help, or only cause more problems? Sometimes the tractor started to pivot (versus go straight) due to the offset of the plow.

At this point, I've got an area that is sporadically plowed, and re-leveled it. Will go back to try to catch the spots missed, with my ghetto approach to plowing. I learned pretty quickly that all the looking back while getting jerked by the hard ground isn't the best on the neck!

Area is probably more like 6x35, and don't think this ground is going to be too friendly on a tiller.... yet.

I wanted to tell you about less than perfect conditions yesterday but I didn't want to discourage you. Keep at it, you'll learn what your tractor can do in your ground. The ground is hard in late summer and fall, and is much easier to plow in the spring. For now, try plowing at 3" rather than 6. Wait for a good rain or two and try it again when it dries out some.

 

[rossn]

Thanks for all the responses! I will respond when I have more time tonight, but curious if I should water or soak the ground when it is this dry and you have to plow? If so, are there any techniques to avoid over watering? I suppose the question pertains to uncut ground as well as areas where I've worked the top, but not the bottom.

 

[bigtiller]

I wouldn't water it by hand, it seams it would be too easy to make a mess. Best to let mother nature and father time do it. If it HAS to be done now, hire someone to till it for you. Look on Craigs List, there are guys tilling gardens for beer money locally all over the country.

 

[CCWKen]

I have areas that are stone-hard clay when dry. (Especially my driveway) Even my little dozer won't break into it. Most areas of the higher elevation here have only 2-8" of top soil then about 12" of clay sand. After that it's compacted clay down to about 5'. After that, there's a layer of loose limestone (what we call caliche down here) then hard limestone. I know because I dug the septic tank hole. I wait for about a 1/2" slow rain or break-out the sprinkler then wait a day or two for it to soak down. If you have a watering gauge (or rain gauge), set that on the ground and water until you get about 1/2". Watch the water for a few minutes to make sure it's not going to just run off. You may have to turn off/down the water a few times to give the soil a chance to wick the water until it's damp. Once it's damp, it will keep taking water as it softens.

 

[jeff9366]

If you work your "soil" when it is wet, rather than moist, it will turn into (what they call in Texas) adobe brick when dry, not to recover for years.

 

[kthompson]

Much of the clay we have is gumbo which when dry is hard and when wet is sticky. Can work when dry but not wet. Sharp tools can slice it when hard but when wet tractor can not get traction and it will end up about like jeff9366 said. Not a moldboard pro here but have used them a good bit but for most part years ago. My question here for those who are pros, why can he not plow 3 or 4 inches deep and till that (understand he has tiller) and then come back with moldboard and plow it again say 6 inches deep? That is assuming he is able to handle that additional 2 inches. kt

 

[rossn]

Well, first off - thanks to everyone for your insight. What a great forum!

Well noted that there is no replacement for getting out there and experiencing my own soil and seeing what works. However, it has been rather educational hearing from all of you, which gets additional thoughts going and hopefully avoids some of the more serious pitfalls.

Don't laugh too hard, but having moved from a 1/6 acre city lot to 1 acre property in the unincorporated county feels a lot bigger. Definitely not going to become proficient in plowing for the small areas I'll be working. I'm oversized on a tractor for the area I have to work, but wanted 4wd for clearing the maybe 3500 sq ft of driveway that I have, and found a deal good enough that it didn't make sense to try to buy a four wheeler and blade for snow clearing and a garden tractor for the lawn and garden. It happened to come with a plow, which was an added bonus, since we do want to do large gardens, many fruit trees, and a lot of landscaping. Supposedly it was farm land before the place was built in the 60's. Luckily in all of yesterday's work, I didn't see a single rock, which was amazing, given our last place you couldn't dig a spade without hitting large rocks.

Seems to be a lot of opinions on the moisture, though sounds like generally speaking some additional moisture would be good. I don't want to wait for the right rain (which who knows what that would be), because if I don't plant fall veggies soon, I'll miss my window of opportunity. One thought I had on adding more moisture is to use a soaker hose to ensure no runoff. I may just work the ground as I have been for another hour or so and be done, but it was jerking around the tractor and driver pretty good before. I did re-smooth the area with the FEL so that when I go back I'm at least starting on level ground, though I'm not sure that is going to work all that well.

Several have mentioned using tiller in this soil condition. Though I've been planning on a tiller, I haven't come across a good enough deal yet. How effective are both portable and PTO tillers in this type of soil condition (with or without plowing first)?

There is certainly a lot to learn about working (and not overworking or working at the wrong time) the soil. I do have a trailer of compost and am planning on tilling in a few inches if I can get my hands on a tiller. Hopefully that will make this area better when it is worked in the future.

 

[prichard]

Perhaps raised rows with your compost would work better for this planting then plow when the soil conditions are better?

 

[oosik]

I have used my 16" single bottom plow behind my Kubota M6040 with fairly acceptable results. My soil is a combination of silt,volcanic ash, organics and LARGE ROCKS. The largest area I've opened up is around three to four acres. After plowing I let nature break it down further and then run a disk harrow over it later. If I need it to be smoother I will drag a chain harrow. These areas were subsequently planted to clover.

For the size the OP is talking about - I would rent a rototiller.