Forgot to say that breakin the surface with your disc is a GOOD thing and can help releive the drag on your plow, but getting that plow to dig down and throw that good ole curl of earth over is really where you want to get to - if the ground has sat for long .. even a year -- . Besides it helps aeriate it (which it probably really needs!), so til you drop the seeds in, you can just get in there and move that dirt all around. Might be you have to make a couple passes w/the plow - each time a little deeper - til you get it good and so you don't damage your machinery. Listen to your tractor, if you're boggin down & really having to put the throttle into it, throttle back and just don't dig so deep. Keep a sharp eye on how the plow is cutting. Better to start more shallow and if it's moving w/ease, you might begin to lower it and you'll find the happy medium of speed and depth. You'll likely not be planting seed as deep as you plow but you need that depth loosened and available for air & nutrient movement -for the established roots to come - Keeping the ground broke every year - planting or not- has it's pay off's, too. It'll be better next time. Hey, if you find it hard & compact this year--this is a good way for you to develop a good gauging system for years to come. You will learn to feel it. But for next year, if you can turn it/plow it after harvest or by Fall, just let it set & 'compost' til spring and then go after it again. Whether or not you disc it befor your Fall plow, I suppose that depends on what's on top but we usually did preceed plowing with a disc or comparable. If you are ready-ing it for planting this year, after you plow it, you probably want to do a final dress out with a nice smooth discing. Just helps break things up nice and consistant and I'll bet you'll also like the looks of it this time! Again, by the look & feel of your plowing & watching how the soil moves to the discs, you can tell how loose or compact the soil is. Now- if it isn't broken consistantly, you might end up with the rain or watering creating low spots and that may create a variety of crop/soil problems. No one needs standing water and plant roots stunting out... Also the same if you don't get those corners & centers fluffed and puffed to match the rest. Still, all of this said .. it sounds like you've got everything it takes with the desire to do this being the first!
