Cultivating new field

[Larus]

I am plowing and discing a pasture that has only grown fescue for 20 years. I am a new farm owner and have my first tractor. I have made several passes with an all purpose plow and one pass with the disc harrow. I see videos on youtube showing soil really getting worked by these tools. I feel like I am only scratching the surface. The plows pulled up some rocks and large clumps of sod/soil, but there is still plenty of grass growing. I have clay/loam and a lot of rocks. Maybe there are still too many large rocks to prevent cultivation. I am not sure. Any advise will be appreciated.

 

[mddorange]

Say Larus, when I start on a new field, I use my tiller first then my plow. If I used the field last year, then I use the disc first and then the plow.

With a lot of big rocks, then I would get a reverse tine tiller. I have a forward till as I don't have a lot of big rocks.

 

[Dadnatron]

I would recommend spraying the field before you work it. You are asking for a lot more work and repeat work trying to deal with sod "the old way". I suspect you will be doing it anyway, because you won't rid yourself of 20yr old fescue otherwise. Roundup/glyphosate, wait 2 weeks, then have at it.

I just completely redid my waterways which were ancient fescue. I sprayed them, then moldboard plowed, then left them over the winter. Disced them the next spring, shaped the waterways, and planted KBG/Orchard. This winter, I did the same with a hillside I plan on terracing for an orchard. Much nicer than trying to kill grass simply by tillage.

 

[Egon]

What kinda plow?

 

[jeff9366]

Dirt Dog 200-5-050 Disc Harrow has 18" diameter pans, spaced 9" apart.

The max depth an Disc Harrow with 18" pans will penetrate is 6" to 7".

In my area Fescue roots grow deeper than 7".

I think you will have to spray with Roundup/Glycophospate to eradicate the Fescue.

Dirt Dog Manufacturing >> Disc Harrows Tillage - 200 Series

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ing-three-point-hitch-mounted.html?highlight=





The Dirt Dog APP will penetrate 14" deep if your tractor can maintain traction, but spacing between the tines is wide.
(Photo #1 + #2)

 

[Larus]

What kinda plow?

Dirt Dog APP60-5-01+ All Purpose Plow.

 

[Sonny580]

Gotta use a moldboard plow for turnover.--chisel plow , not good.--disk won't chop up grass chunks/rootballs/ or rocks.
If you have that many rocks, big or medium, then you won't do much farming.--- as already said,--chems. is the only way to kill the sod. The rocks will have to be removed either by hand or by a rock-picker machine before trying to work/plant the area.
This is not something that will be done overnight either. it can take a long time depending on how long you stay on top of the project. good luck and hang in there! thanks; sonny580

 

[nybirdman]

Cut as short as possible,spray,plow...........roto-till or disc.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

For breaking sod, you need a moldboard plow with colters.

Case IH 45 3-Bottom MOLDBOARD PLOW (used) ; 1-8-999-3276 … SALEM FARM SUPPLY, INC. | salemfarmsupply

The size of the plow is the width of the furrow, so a 16" plow will cut a 16" wide furrow, a 12" plow will cut a 12" wide furrow, etc. You need to size the plow to your tractor. A 35 hp tractor will pull two 14s pretty easy. You need to take it pretty slow if you have a lot of rocks. It will turn over a fist sized rock no problem, but if you hook a big rock it can break the nose off the plow share. After plowing I have cleaned up rocks in a field with a repurposed potato picker dumping into a stone boat.

Oliver Potato Digger - TractorShed.com

 

[Egon]

For breaking sod, you need a moldboard plow with colters.

Case IH 45 3-Bottom MOLDBOARD PLOW (used) ; 1-8-999-3276 … SALEM FARM SUPPLY, INC. | salemfarmsupply



The size of the plow is the width of the furrow, so a 16" plow will cut a 16" wide furrow, a 12" plow will cut a 12" wide furrow, etc. You need to size the plow to your tractor. A 35 hp tractor will pull two 14s pretty easy. You need to take it pretty slow if you have a lot of rocks. It will turn over a fist sized rock no problem, but if you hook a big rock it can break the nose off the plow share. After plowing I have cleaned up rocks in a field with a repurposed potato picker dumping into a stone boat.

Oliver Potato Digger - TractorShed.com

Agreed.

To work well chizel ploughs need lots of horse power in front of them.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Another possible implement is a disc plow. They are used in areas with lots of rocks in the soil, but I don't know how they would do at breaking sod. They take a lot of horsepower. This page recommends 40-50 hp for a 2 disc plow.

AF - Mounted Disc Plough - Baldan Machinery and Agricultural Implements

 

[jeff9366]

Monroe Tufline is the sole USA producer of Disc Plows.

LINK: TDP2 Series 2 & 3 Blade Disc Plows | Tufline

 

[Larus]

After plowing 6-8 times and discing 6-8 times, most of the rocks are gone and the fescue is dead. Well, 95% of it. It is actually looking like a seed bed now.

 

[MitchellB]

A rock rake or landscape rake may help you move some of those rocks out.

 

[Larus]

A rock rake or landscape rake may help you move some of those rocks out.

I would like to get a landscape rake. I think it would be helpful in the garden and on the gravel drive. I could use it to collect mulch from the forest.