Preparing Virgin Ground

[MasseyWV]

I have 1 acre wooded area with clay-based soil that I am presently clearing in preparation to eventually use as a garden plot.

What is the best method for preparing virgin ground? Removing roots/rocks, amendments, cover crops, etc...

 

[Kendrick]

I agree I have a 2 acre patch with briars rocks and reminants of the prevous owner's junk. Im plannin to use my moldbord plow to turn it over the first time. I would like to know though since im in a very stony area if that is wise.

is your wooded area fairly level?

 

[RalphVa]

You need to turn the soil over: with a moldboard, digging fork, rotary plow, rotary disc. I've used all these methods, depending on the size of the plot, etc. Good idea to brush hog it fairly short first. Another method on a small plot is to cover what's there with a raised bed made up of new garden soil. Done that, too.

On an existing plot, I prefer to use no till with mulch to cover the rows between crops.

Ralph

 

[MasseyWV]

I agree I have a 2 acre patch with briars rocks and reminants of the prevous owner's junk. Im plannin to use my moldbord plow to turn it over the first time. I would like to know though since im in a very stony area if that is wise.

is your wooded area fairly level?

My area is semi-flat with some steep slopes surrounding it. Just getting it cleared has been a real pain because it was partially cleared back in the 80's then allowed to run wild (which it did with a vengence).

I know how you feel about removing the previous owners junk. I am still finding stuff.

 

[Kendrick]

hehe I just found a half sumburged beetle next to my creek i have a deck and set of cabinates in my food plot and just found the tire dump today in my hay field... lol i hope you keep a list of things you find as you go through this project... it shal be interesting

 

[MasseyWV]

You need to turn the soil over: with a moldboard, digging fork, rotary plow, rotary disc. I've used all these methods, depending on the size of the plot, etc. Good idea to brush hog it fairly short first. Another method on a small plot is to cover what's there with a raised bed made up of new garden soil. Done that, too.

On an existing plot, I prefer to use no till with mulch to cover the rows between crops.

Ralph

I was thinking of using some sort of spiked implement (perhaps a spike harrow) to handle some of the roots after the stumps are removed, then plow it all under before tilling in a mixture of organics (leaves, sawdust, etc...) with a dumptruck load or two of sand and topsoil.

I heard that during the first year, that I should plant some sort of cover crop then plow it under in the fall.

Clay-based soil is a pain. Either hard as a rock when dry or slippery when wet.

 

[MasseyWV]

hehe I just found a half sumburged beetle next to my creek i have a deck and set of cabinates in my food plot and just found the tire dump today in my hay field... lol i hope you keep a list of things you find as you go through this project... it shal be interesting

Nothing as big as a Beetle...yet! LOL

However, some of the things I have found to date include tires, several small buried shingle piles, buried drywall remains, various heavy metal objects (angle iron, etc...), a very heavy length of chain (kept that one), a baby crib, and more glass beer bottles than I can count. It is amazing how much junk can be revealed after you burn off the leaves.

 

[texasjohn]

I suggest a chisel plow.... to get deep and destroy all the roots.... and find all that stuff you are talking about. Going over the ground several times, at differeent angles, and successively greater depths will get the job done. Then, you can break up clods and turn under debris with a disk.. I suggest scolloped disks. It will take several years to get the ground into really good shape, but if you get started now then it will work out in the end.

 

[MasseyWV]

I suggest a chisel plow.... to get deep and destroy all the roots.... and find all that stuff you are talking about. Going over the ground several times, at differeent angles, and successively greater depths will get the job done. Then, you can break up clods and turn under debris with a disk.. I suggest scolloped disks. It will take several years to get the ground into really good shape, but if you get started now then it will work out in the end.

Great suggestion! I had never heard of a chisel plow but after looking at a picture of one, I can see how it would do a very good job of ripping up roots and help keep the clogging of debris to a minimum.

I agree about it taking years to get the ground in good shape, I have an existing garden plot that is still not quite right after several seasons.

 

[texasjohn]

My chisel plow has 8 shanks as I recall... you are supposed to have maybe 10 hp per shank... well, I used it with a 35hp tractor. It is a 3PH attachment, meaning that I can lower it shallow or deep into the ground. I let the ground conditions determine how deep I could run it without bogging down the engine. First pass, gotta be shallow, maybe 3 to 6 inches. Next pass, at about a 30 to 45 degree angle from the first is a little deeper. Use LOWEST gear and your FULL PTO rpms.. or greater... and weight in tires to keep as much traction as possible... very slight slip is what you want. Next pass, again at angle different from any prior pass, you will be down about one foot, maybe deeper.

Depending on your situation, you can remove some shanks, thus getting deeper but passes are more narrow. I chose to make wider, shallower passes. It will all depend on your soil conditions. Don't try when ground is either too wet or too dry... you will learn that there is a spot where the ground will shatter at a reasonable ground speed and be less drag than either wetter or dryer.... experimentation will teach you.

If you have a lot of debris on the ground, it will act as a rake and you will have to raise up and drop the load from time to time.