Plowing 101

N80 · Sep 27, 2005

I have a Kubota L4400 4wd (45hp) with Ag tires. I would like to plant oats, clover, wheat, etc in small plots for deer and turkey. I have some small areas, all less than an acre that are cleared (no stumps or rocks) but haven't been plowed in decades. South Carolina peidmont. It is mostly clay type soil, not really red, but a little red. Thin layer of topsoil over it. Hard as concrete when dry, impossibly sticky when wet (you have to scrape it off a shovel or bucket, the hose won't do it.)

I know nothing about plowing. I've gotten a lot of varying advice. But I don't even know the proper application for plows, disks or tillers.

I'd appreciate a short primer on these attachements and what they do best and worst and which might be best for my tractor and soil type.

I'm not looking for a book, just the basics.

Thanks.

Yalerider · Sep 27, 2005

You may want to consider "no till", where you drill the seed into the soil, and then cover it up.

http://www.clemson.edu/fieldops/CGS/plow.htm

beenthere · Sep 27, 2005

( .....the proper application for plows, disks or tillers.

Thanks. )

Basics, a moldboard plow will turn the ground over, leaving soil that can be disked and prepped for a seed bed. The following year, that same area can be tilled with a tiller.

A sub-soiler will work up the ground (not turn it over, but just stir it up) after which it can be disked and prepped for a seed bed.

A moldboard plow is a learning process and takes patience and skill to do. The easier (less skill and patience) is using the subsoiler followed by a good disking that in time will leave you with a good seedbed.

N80 · Sep 27, 2005

Thanks. I'm asuming a moldboard is a basic 'spade' shaped plow? i know what a disk is and I know what a tiller is. What does a subsoiler look like?

N80 · Sep 27, 2005

Interesting.

I looked up sub-soilers so I know what they look like. What does one of these drills look like. Any links? I assuming you would still need to do some type of initial prep. The last time these fields where plowed was probably by a mule.

Egon · Sep 27, 2005

If you want good food plots on your type of soil go for the plow and disk. Some diamond harrows would also help for the seeding.

Egon

N80 · Sep 28, 2005

So you plow first and then run the disk over it?

Next stupid question: I have a chance get a box blade cheap. It has some 'tines' inside that look similar to subsoiler teeth. Can it be made to work like a subsoiler? Can you take the box off the box blade and just use the teeth?

(I'm asking all these silly questions because I trying to get out of this on the cheap and because these food plots are not really 'fields' per se, and are really more like tiny little clearings-so a text book food plot really isn't in the cards anyway. Maybe I could get someone to come in an plow and just buy the disk and not both.)

Yalerider · Sep 28, 2005

I did about an acre. I cleared the trees with a D-4 Cat and them used the my box blade with the rippers all the way down. After clearing the brush and weeds I finished it with the rippers up and planted annual ryegrass. It worked very well for me. I have clay soil also. The ryegrass roots should help loosen the soil more for next year.

wushaw · Sep 28, 2005

( Next stupid question: I have a chance get a box blade cheap. It has some 'tines' inside that look similar to subsoiler teeth. Can it be made to work like a subsoiler? Can you take the box off the box blade and just use the teeth? )

Just set the teeth to the lowest position and shorten your top link as far as it will go and wholla nothin but rippers..just keep the BB up a little so as not to gather any material in it.
This works very good.