Attachment advice

[nspec]

I'm starting a new vegetable plot, about 100 x 40. Over the last 2 years, I've cleared and stumped it. I've got a really nice plow and tiller and just seeded buckwheat for the first time to help add some structure to the soil.

I'm looking for an implement which I can use after the tiller. The tiller fluffs things up almost too well. It leaves 5' wide humps with rows in between that are more settled/packed from the edges of the tiller and a little of the tires.

I was thinking of running through with a chain drag just settle things out a bit and make it real uniform. I also want to use something on flat ground to cover seed which I broadcast - buckwheat, rye, etc..

I don't own a chain drag, and can hardly justify the cost for such a limited use. I know it would work well, just wondering if something else would also work. I would be buying a cultivator at some point. Thinking that would definitly take the fluff out and settle things some, but as for covering the seed?

I made a drag out of chain link and it worked just okay. I also dragged a board, but it only got the high spots. When I drove through the fluffed up soil, I made tire tracks about 4-6 inches deep and the board would miss those. See what I'm getting at? Sorry to be long winded, just looking for any thoughts or ideas.

 

[moored4]

When you till do you have your tiller offset to one side to cover one wheel track? If you do that and always work toward the opposite tire you should leave a nice level field.

 

[ZDB]

we started out much the same as you.
We have used a disc in the past to lightly disc in broadcast seed with decent results.
Also made light passes with the tiller to till in seed. I tried this with oats and cow pea mix last year. The stand was good and performed well as a cover crop between rows.
Its probably not the best or most effficient way but you have to use what you have.

 

[nspec]

I probably wasn't clear. My tiller completely covers my tire tracks. I'm tilling deep, and the tiller works quite well. At the very edge of the tillers track, there is a runner. This narrow strip doesn't fluff up like where the tines are. It doesn't matter if I overlap or not. The result is 5 foot fluffy beds, with narrow strips in between that are not fluffed.

Not a huge worry for the vegetables, as the beds will be hilled. The problem arises when I want to seed a cover crop. In order to get good seed to ground contact, I would like to lightly cover the seed which I broadcast. With the ridges, an ordinary drag will miss the low spots. I would like to smooth the whole field, settle the fluff a bit, then cover up the seed lightly.

I like the tiller advice to lightly cover the seed. I was worried about beating up the seed too much.

Several ideas: Cultipacker, chain drag, cultivator

All would probably work well. I just don't want to spend a ton of money just for once a year fall cover crops, you know what I mean?

 

[ZDB]

seed costs would be lower with a drill and cultipacker.
But with the low acreage you and I are doing seed is probably cheaper than steel.

 

[Baby Grand]

I have had good luck with the following procedure:

1) Use our CUT tractor to till, using a PTO tiller.
2) Use our lightweight lawn tractor , rake the surface, creating grooves in the soil for the seeds to drop into. This is done with the mower deck removed so it doesn't get hung up in the fluffy soil.
3) Use the lawn tractor drop spreader to spread the cover crop seed.
4) Use the lawn tractor with lawn roller to pack everything and get soil/seed contact.

-Jim

 

[Baby Grand]

Edited for better truthyness:

We have had good luck with the following procedure:

1) Use our CUT tractor to till, using a PTO tiller.

2) Use our lightweight lawn tractor with lawn roller to lightly pack the surface. This is done with the mower deck removed so it doesn't get hung up in the fluffy soil. Weight can be adjusted to get desired result.

3) Use the lawn tractor to rake the tilled surface, creating grooves in the soil for the seeds to drop into. It's a 48" wood 4x4 with 6" long 3/4 dowels space 4" OC (a seriously failed landscape rake build for the CUT that I hid for a year before I could bear to look at it again - cut-down to fit the smaller tractor).

4) Use the lawn tractor drop spreader to spread the cover crop seed into the grooves.

5) Use the lawn tractor with lawn roller (again) to pack everything and get good soil/seed contact.

-Jim

 

[MESSMAKER]

I small section of chain link fence will work to level it out. Not sure how it wil work for the seeds, though. A lawn roller might work.

 

[nspec]

Sort of the cultipacker idea. I like it. Rollers and rakes are cheap and easy to find.

 

[Baby Grand]

Sort of the cultipacker idea. I like it. Rollers and rakes are cheap and easy to find.

Exactly!
If I ever find an affordable cultipacker nearby, I'll be all over it like engineers on free donuts.

 

[Luremaker]

I small section of chain link fence will work to level it out. Not sure how it wil work for the seeds, though. A lawn roller might work.

When I broadcast fall rye, after rototilling, I pull a section of chain link fence to help cover the seed. Then compact with my cultipacker to ensure good soil contact with the seed.

 

[Baby Grand]

Planted cover on the plot we've used the last 3 years - going to give it a rest and work a new plot just behind it. Here's the rake after tilling & the first rolling - The Plant Manager in action:



Close up of The Rake of Shame:



Busted a tooth, so I'll have to find another dowel, the linseed oil and the threading die. Spirits tell me a set of steel harrow teeth is in my near future. Let the seeding begin:



Rolled to finish:



Thankfully it finally stopped raining long enough to get the job done. Had some nice sun that kept the mosquitos away for a few hours - they are fierce this year.

 

[Luremaker]

Baby Grand, You forgot to remove your deck....

 

[Baby Grand]

Baby Grand, You forgot to remove your deck....

I know ...

I tilled and The Plant Manager rolled the plot last weekend - then it rained for 5 days. I think we need to use less water in the roller next time, or make sure we rake before it rains, as the soil got packed way too hard. This made for tough work on the rake, requiring several passes with increasing ballast loads to get the teeth to dig in. We're still learning. Since the plot was over-packed this time, no need to remove the deck. Next time I think I'll try attaching the drop seeder to the back of the rake so we're dropping all the seed in the raked grooves and none on the tractor's tire tracks.

The weather has been a real pain this year, complicating our gardening efforts. I can only immagine the stress that farmers must feel when their income depends on the results.