Rototilling hillsides

Bob_Young · Feb 2, 2007

Recently bought a new KK 72" tiller and am waiting for Spring to give it a workout. One field I'd like to till up (about 5 acres) is mostly on a hillside. Normally, it gets plowed across the slope instead of up-and-down. The reason for this, of course, is to prevent the erosion that would result from rain run-off washing down the furrows. There are some steep/uneven areas that definitely put me on the edge of my seat when plowing cross-slope....and that's with the uphill wheel in the furrow.

The question is whether this is still neccessary when rototilling? Can I roto-till the slope in an up/down direction without causing a massive erosion event? I'd like to get this field back into shape as a producing hayfield, but may have to settle for game-foodplot status until I find time to properly hay it.

I'm expecting to have to plow it normally before rototilling but, if the going is easy in the damp soil next spring, may skip the plowing step.

Junk, you know about this stuff. What say you?
Bob

bigtiller · Feb 2, 2007

After rototilling, that loose fluffy dirt will erode with the first rain making several washes unless you can get it planted and packed down before it rains. There may be a problem just getting it tilled. Going up hill while tilling takes a lot of horse power and the front end of the tractor gets pretty light. Going down hill will be OK if the tractor is heavy enough to keep it from being pushed down hill by the tiller.

DieselPower · Feb 2, 2007

I can't even imagine how long it would take to rototill a 5 acre lot. Longer than I would want to spend.

I agree that the rototilled lot would be more likely to erode due to it being alot looser.

Personally, for a hay field I would just plow and disc it. If I wanted it extra smooth I would then run a pulvarizer/rock crusher over it.

kwolfe · Feb 2, 2007

I would agree as well. I have never tilled, however I have spread plenty of to soil and watched that washed down slopes that were not very steep. I would imagine the same would happen to tilled earth. The furrow idea is a good one simply for the reasno it was previously being done.

flusher · Feb 2, 2007

Bob_Young said:
Recently bought a new KK 72" tiller and am waiting for Spring to give it a workout. One field I'd like to till up (about 5 acres) is mostly on a hillside. Normally, it gets plowed across the slope instead of up-and-down. The reason for this, of course, is to prevent the erosion that would result from rain run-off washing down the furrows. There are some steep/uneven areas that definitely put me on the edge of my seat when plowing cross-slope....and that's with the uphill wheel in the furrow.

The question is whether this is still neccessary when rototilling? Can I roto-till the slope in an up/down direction without causing a massive erosion event? I'd like to get this field back into shape as a producing hayfield, but may have to settle for game-foodplot status until I find time to properly hay it.

I'm expecting to have to plow it normally before rototilling but, if the going is easy in the damp soil next spring, may skip the plowing step.

Junk, you know about this stuff. What say you?
Bob

I think of a rototiller as a garden or landscaping implement, not one for field cultivation. Use a plow and disc on your 5 acres.

I have a 4-ft wide Yanmar RS-12000 rototiller that I use with my Kubota B7510HST for landscaping and garden work. Also have a 4-ft wide King Kutter rotary mower (brush hog) that I use to mow 7 acres of weeds on my 10 acre spread. Takes me about 11 hours to mow the weeds in the spring when the growth is 3-4 ft high. It probably would take me 50 hours at least to rototill that 7 acres. That's why I have a 1966 MF-135 with a 6-ft wide offset disk. I'm looking for a 2-14 plow for the 135 since I want to grow hay instead of weeds on that 7 acres.

DDT · Feb 3, 2007

I have a 6' LP tiller and work 5 acers of crop land. 1 acer per hour easly with my current tractor. Do not know how your ground compares to my upland here.

How steep are we talking? If it is very bad I would go no till only. All the old roots will hold the ground in place.

Farmwithjunk · Feb 3, 2007

Bob_Young said:
Recently bought a new KK 72" tiller and am waiting for Spring to give it a workout. One field I'd like to till up (about 5 acres) is mostly on a hillside. Normally, it gets plowed across the slope instead of up-and-down. The reason for this, of course, is to prevent the erosion that would result from rain run-off washing down the furrows. There are some steep/uneven areas that definitely put me on the edge of my seat when plowing cross-slope....and that's with the uphill wheel in the furrow.

The question is whether this is still neccessary when rototilling? Can I roto-till the slope in an up/down direction without causing a massive erosion event? I'd like to get this field back into shape as a producing hayfield, but may have to settle for game-foodplot status until I find time to properly hay it.

I'm expecting to have to plow it normally before rototilling but, if the going is easy in the damp soil next spring, may skip the plowing step.

Junk, you know about this stuff. What say you?
Bob

When you contour plow, you leave furrows and ridges across the face of a hillside to catch and slow down rain run-off. Disc or tilling eliminate those ridges. From that point on, you just have exposed, loose dirt on a hill. Like it was already mentioned, once you till, get it planted and firmed (cultipacker) before any hard rains if possible.

EVery year, I do the prep and planting for an 8-acre CORN MAZE our church does. It's on a rolling hillside. It gets moldboard plowed just because I enjoy that so much, then I take to it with my KK72" tiller. It's much easier to load and haul the tiller than it is to haul a disc. WIth a disc, it's 2, maybe 3 passes to get to planting stage. Tiller is a one pass deal. Timewise, just about the same. End resuls, just about he same. If it wasn't for my wish to play with the plow, I'd just take to it with the tiller and plant. I manage to till between 1/2 and 3/4 acres per hour. Plow and disc multiple times, you'll spend MORE time per acre with roughly the same results. (Plow MAY get a bit deeper but that's not needed for seeding a hay field) If you were talking 500 acres, I'd say find a faster way. For 5 acres, even just a tiller won't take forever. One warning though.... 8 or 10 hours of running a tiller is B.O.R.I.N.G.

Egon · Feb 3, 2007

Consider using a roundup type product several weeks before tilling. I'd do one pass tilling up and down and the last cross ways on the contours. Then I would follow up with a diamond toothed harrow again following the contours.

Let it sit for several weeks to get a good weed/grass/whatever crop coming and work it again. At this point a cultivator would be my choice. After several more weeks do it all over and harrow. Then seed and harrow. The harrowing will pack down the soil and help level.

Note this is old time approach using a new rototiller.

It is well worth the time and effort to get a potential hay field smooth. Your back will always thank you for this consideration as will some of the haying equipment.

Bob_Young · Feb 3, 2007

I'm glad I asked. Lots of food for thought here. Thanks for responding, guys.

Egon, your old timey approach to preparing a hayfield is probably just what is needed. There are some uneven areas that cause trouble. The problem I have right now is finding time to do all that. But if I find the time down the road, I'll know where to start. I've got two spring tooth harrows, but no chisel tooth. Will the spring tooth get me by or should I go shopping?

Junk, you da man on the 72" KK tiller. You convinced me I'm not crazy to try this. I might try just an acre or two this spring to see what happens as I'd rather have an acre come out right than make mistakes and have to reseed 5.

Y'all convinced me I better go looking for a culti-packer.
Bob