A backwards disk chisel, (chisel disk?) to make food plots

[DJ54]

Too late this year for the idea I used 2 years ago, and even though I used it in the garden, should still work for what you're intending. I sowed cereal rye as a cover crop and intending it on being a living mulch the following summer. I have an adjustable pull type disk I roughed up the surface, sowed the rye, then set the disk to a lighter cut to cover the seed.

The following spring I let it mature to the milk stage, then rolled it down to crimp and kill it. I was just experimenting doing a copycat method on a smaller scale of what larger farming operations were doing. Picture below was early May of 2023. I sowed it maybe a little heavier than intended but worked well.

I made a knock down bar for one of my old Wheel Horses to push it over before rolling hoping it would snap some of the stems, then the heavy roller would finish the job. For no more than I used, it did a pretty good job.

My intentions were to plant cucumbers and squash on a trellis system. As you can see in the picture it cut weeds down to around 90% of being weed free. We'd gotten a 2-3 week dry spell and took a while for things to take off. But once the rains returned, the rye mulch did a very good job of retaining moisture and keeping weeds down.

I have no idea what you're intending to plant in your food plots but assuming you're using a no till planter. If that is the case, it'd be best to plant in the direction the rye is rolled/crimped to keep it from gathering up on the planter running in an opposite direction against the grain.

If it is corn or sorghum, or a tall crop it should shade out any weeds after your crop gets 18" to 24" tall, if using like 30" row spacing.

Depending on days of maturity of your plot crops, Oats could probably be used for a Spring living mulch. Just good old bulk oats from the feed mill will work well. Heck, in the garden I just bought a bag of horse Oats, and they grew very well. But I used them as a Fall cover crop so they would winter kill, and only using just to amend the garden soil.

Just some food for thought.

 

[nch583]

This is the first time I've seen such an interesting and effective method! I'll make a note.

Too late this year for the idea I used 2 years ago, and even though I used it in the garden, should still work for what you're intending. I sowed cereal rye as a cover crop and intending it on being a living mulch the following summer. I have an adjustable pull type disk I roughed up the surface, sowed the rye, then set the disk to a lighter cut to cover the seed.

The following spring I let it mature to the milk stage, then rolled it down to crimp and kill it. I was just experimenting doing a copycat method on a smaller scale of what larger farming operations were doing. Picture below was early May of 2023. I sowed it maybe a little heavier than intended but worked well.

I made a knock down bar for one of my old Wheel Horses to push it over before rolling hoping it would snap some of the stems, then the heavy roller would finish the job. For no more than I used, it did a pretty good job.

My intentions were to plant cucumbers and squash on a trellis system. As you can see in the picture it cut weeds down to around 90% of being weed free. We'd gotten a 2-3 week dry spell and took a while for things to take off. But once the rains returned, the rye mulch did a very good job of retaining moisture and keeping weeds down.

I have no idea what you're intending to plant in your food plots but assuming you're using a no till planter. If that is the case, it'd be best to plant in the direction the rye is rolled/crimped to keep it from gathering up on the planter running in an opposite direction against the grain.

If it is corn or sorghum, or a tall crop it should shade out any weeds after your crop gets 18" to 24" tall, if using like 30" row spacing.

Depending on days of maturity of your plot crops, Oats could probably be used for a Spring living mulch. Just good old bulk oats from the feed mill will work well. Heck, in the garden I just bought a bag of horse Oats, and they grew very well. But I used them as a Fall cover crop so they would winter kill, and only using just to amend the garden soil.

Just some food for thought.

This is the first time I've seen such an interesting and effective method! I'll make a note.

 

[AntiqueIron]

An old Bog Disc is as close as you'll come to a 1 implement solution. They are heavy, with large disc blades that are widely spaced (more forgiving of rocks).

I found a Taylor-way 8 foot bog disc for sale for the right price. Looks like about 24” smooth discs. Looks really stout. I’ve heard wildly conflicting things about HP requirements for these- I saw a 5000 on YouTube dragging one fine, in sandy stuff with pretty little load on the tractor. Then I see guys saying they’re meant for 100 hp+ tractors. And then I see photos of old 4 cylinder fords dragging em and doing fine, so I was wondering if this is gonna work for me. I wouldn’t mind making a few passes for good results- heck that’s how you grind the residue up good IMO.

(Photo from the listing)

Video I referenced (hope I did this right)

 

[dieselscout80]

I found a Taylor-way 8 foot bog disc for sale for the right price. Looks like about 24” smooth discs. Looks really stout. I’ve heard wildly conflicting things about HP requirements for these- I saw a 5000 on YouTube dragging one fine, in sandy stuff with pretty little load on the tractor. Then I see guys saying they’re meant for 100 hp+ tractors. And then I see photos of old 4 cylinder fords dragging em and doing fine, so I was wondering if this is gonna work for me. I wouldn’t mind making a few passes for good results- heck that’s how you grind the residue up good IMO.View attachment 3440739
(Photo from the listing)

Video I referenced (hope I did this right)

I think the angle of the two sides of the disc makes a big difference in how hard it is to pull. In your linked video the disc is NOT angled much.

If it was set to cut more with the outside ends of the disc much closer to the tractor (more of a V shape) it would be much harder to pull. However, not sure if say that 5000 would pull it or not.

The other thing is the type of ground sandy (you mentioned) is easier than heavy clay dirt.

 

[AntiqueIron]

I think the angle of the two sides of the disc makes a big difference in how hard it is to pull. In your linked video the disc is NOT angled much.

If it was set to cut more with the outside ends of the disc much closer to the tractor (more of a V shape) it would be much harder to pull. However, not sure if say that 5000 would pull it or not.

The other thing is the type of ground sandy (you mentioned) is easier than heavy clay dirt.

Agreed on all points. Our soil is a clay loam, not super heavy, but mostly rock. Stuff I’ll be tilling won’t have much sod, just briars and trash mostly. I really can’t tell how well she’d pull it either.