Loosening ompacted clay soil and green manures

[brantley]

Since this is my first spring with a tractor and will have a tiller shortly, I finally have an opportunity to take care of some areas of my property that have seen little growth due to heavy compacted clay soil. Altogether there is about an acre and maybe two since my neighbor shares the same conditions..
I thought at first of having manure or some other composted material brought, but after checking prices, it is way too expensive for an area this size.
So after getting some literature from my county extension office on green manures, it looks like buckwheat may be what I need to
The plan I have in mind is to add in whatever my soil test recommends, till that in with the tiller and plant the buckwheat.
From what I have read, the buckwheat should be ready to till in after 30-60 days. That should be around June.
After tilling in, I would plant some kind of grass perhaps bermuda as a permanent cover.

Has anyone done anything similar and with what success.

 

[Alan L.]

A very timely subject, as I am doing basically the same thing. Except my "soil" is not even topsoil - it came from digging my new pond 12 feet deep and we used it to build a pad for the metal shop building we live in. It is completely devoid of any organic material is just like concrete when dry, and glue when wet. I am debating the type of implement to break it up, right now I think tilling (when it dries up again) will result in millions of hard clods. With the size of the area the organic material would be too expensive, so I am figuring on doing the green manure deal myself. I even have my doubts as to whether buckwheat, alfalfa, clover, or other such plants will even grow on this hardpan, but we did get some rye grass going on it a little bit while the ground was pretty much soaked. Good luck.

Alan L., TX