Disc's not breaking up the thick rooted swamp grass -- Tiller needed ?

[Dave5264]

Last Fall I plowed up about 12 acres of hay field that was long past its prime (Been 10 years since it was plowed ...before i owned the farm) My first plowing experience. There are several low spots, and the fields have gotten over-run with a swamp like grass that thick, ball's up on the surface and very deep rooted. This spring, so far I have disc'd it 6 times (maybe more), in different directions, and I have used 2 different sets of disc's(my heavy set of 3pt disc's and my neighbours tow behind set with 400'lbs of added weight). Both of them leave the swamp grass sod on the surface and roll over it like carpet.

We are a heavy clay based soil here too, so it gets real hard without rain.

the field is still too rough to seed, i cant even drag harrow it, its just laden with clumps of sod. In the areas where is was "typical" sod, its fine, but the heavy and thick swamp grass wont chop up with the disc's

Im thinking a 8' pto tiller may be my only option. I've burned $300 in Deisel so far discing the field with no difference being made any more, a new Brush Hog 8' tiller is looking good right now.

Any other ideas, before i drop a bundle of cash on a tiller ? the disc's are doing nothing for me now.

Im running a 100Hp McCormick CX100 Xtra Speed.


many thanks

 

[kthompson]

Did you do anything to kill the grass before you disked it? Not saying this would have solved your issue but we have high water level here and on some of our land we have area that need to be subsoiled at least every three years. Other wise water loving grass becomes an issue there.

Without seeing the mess (believe me I have fought such more than once) if you have a chisel plow have you tried it? I use a field cultivator to pull such as that out of my fields. Do you have any thing that will pull that grass into plies, if yes then can you do that and burn it or let it rot? Hard to do some of this type of work before the ground dries. One thing will suggest on the disk, take lighter cuts but faster to try and break the clods of it apart. Speed may do this where weight can not cut through it. You may try setting the disk blades as different angle to see if one works better than where you are now. That from a person who almost always uses as sharp angle as the disk has.

Not as popular as they once were and here we call them turn plows but proper name is moldboard plows are made to roll the dirt over and that may work for you. I would try to find a set to try but used ones may be setting around for sale. Chisel plows and no till stop their use almost totally.

 

[flusher]

What kind of disc? Tandem (4 axles in an X configuration) or offset (2 axles in a V configuration)?
Offset discs are used for primary tillage and generally are pull-type.
Set the disc for the most aggressive plowing, add more weight, and keep the ground speed to at least 5 mph.

Good luck

 

[300UGUY]

Around here, if it is in clay, with grass on it, they plow it, then disk, then a finisher, now I see them roll it, to smooth it out. But these are row crops generally.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Now that you have chopped it up with large clumps of grass just rolling around, I doubt any tillage implement short of a tiller is going to break up those clumps. I think they would eventually rot and decompose but if you want instant results, get the tiller.
You might be able to run pretty fast with it just to chew up the clumps rather than the 1MPH or less for normal tilling. I used mine once to make a fire break in a pasture and ran it 6-7 MPH and it chewed up the grass enough to stop the fire. It also chewed up small pine trees at the same time.

Is it possible for you to rent one rather than buy, that is if you think you wont need it in the future.

 

[Dave5264]

Thanks, I have plowed it (3 furrow plow, over 6 months ago, it sat fallow through the cold snowy winter), its been disc'd with 2 different sets of disc's, both are 4 axle, X type, set as aggressive as possible, one had serrated discs the other smooth, I put 400lbs of extra weight and disc'd faster, but no luck, the disc's just roll over the swamp grass sod like its carpet.

I think Gary Fowler is right, a Tiller or leave it fallow all summer and next winter to let the grass rot down more.

nowhere around here to rent a tiller, likely have to bite the bullet and buy one, Ill be doing 10 acres a year for the foreseeable future and a lot of my fields have this swamp grass.

to kthopmson, no i didnt spray to kill the grass first, that would be something to consider next time, i figured having it plowed & turend over for 6- 8 months would have taken care of that...i guess not

 

[oldnslo]

Will the grass just ball up in the tiller? I know this is a problem with smaller rear tine walk behinds used in gardens.

 

[Egon]

More weight.

 

[Cataclysm]

I'd kill the grass first with a herbicide so it would also kill the roots and rot away faster. After the grass is dead you could use a flail mower to grind up it up even more before tilling.

 

[kthompson]

Dave, is it possible to burn it? If it is enough together and it get dry could be best way to remove it.