Plowing 101

Egon · Sep 28, 2005

On the cheap! [That is the way I have to work]

The box blade rippers should work. You may not get the proper soil condition for optimum crop production but then that is not your object.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ed3357 · Oct 7, 2005

I have some ground to moldboard plow. The field hasn't been turned for quite a few years. I mowed the field in the summer. At what height should the vegetation be to plow the field?
Thanks,
Eric

TNhobbyfarmer · Oct 7, 2005

At what height should the vegetation be to plow the field?


The less and lower the vegetation, the easier it is to plow. Even if you bushog tall vegetation and leave the clippings on the ground they can ball up in any type plow. Disking the ground proir to plowing can help if the vegetation is thick. Roundup a few weeks prior to plowing can also help.

ed3357 · Oct 7, 2005

That makes sense.

However, let's say that the vegetation is a legume, and I want to capture the stored N, along with increasing the tilth by plowing under the cover crop. How tall should that cover crop be to maximize my soil fertility?
Thanks,
Eric

TNhobbyfarmer · Oct 10, 2005

However, let's say that the vegetation is a legume, and I want to capture the stored N, along with increasing the tilth by plowing under the cover crop. How tall should that cover crop be to maximize my soil fertility?


Not an expert here, but I thought the N was transferred to the soil through the roots of the legumes. If that's the case, plowing isn't critical to the process.

andrewj · Oct 14, 2005

hey fellas, I'm here in SC too - we don't use the moldboard/bottom/turning plow in my county (saluda). Pine country, thin layer of topsoil, if youturn it under all you are left wihth is red clay....not good.

Just use a chisel plow (sitrex is my favorite) chisel scarifies the dirt, pulls up roots so they don't come back so soon, and then you just go over it with either a drag harrow or landscape rake. Or a bedder, what ever your goal is. Stay away from a turning plow!

andrewj · Oct 14, 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. )

sorry i just read that question - yes that's what I did before I got a chisel plow...your rippers in the bb don't go very deep, but maybe you don't need to go deep. give it a try.

browns40 · Oct 14, 2005

Right on TNhobbyfarmer,

Roots do the nitrogen binding.... longer cover gives you opportunity for more mulch/biomass to mix into the soil to assist with aeration, loosening, encouraging soil flora, etc... pre compost compost.

For a small plot, you don't need to go full bore for attachments,; the simplest solution will be best & cheapest. A hand tiller if real small... you can park the tractor where it can watch you... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

N80 · Oct 14, 2005

My place is in the central piedmont. You have a shallow layer of topsoil, about 20 inches of soft sticky clay (when wet) and below that is a crumbly sort of rock with lots of mica in it.

In any case, Andrew, you are right. I've never even seen a moldboard type plow around here. Most people have disks, but they use them on fields that have been plowed before.

Anyway, for rudimentary deer plots (as opposed to a crop for harvest), I don't think I need to go real deep and at least with a box blade I can find multiple uses for it.

Several friends who have soft pre-plowed fields, use PTO tillers a lot. But again, my ground is basically in a natural state.

Thanks for the input. Its really too late to do anything this year anyway, but hopefully next year I'll have a plan and if not the proper implements, at least some type of implement.