Sequence for implements when improving raw cleared land

[svenu]

Got a nice acre to improve, and I’m always learning more about the sequence of operations, so asking you pros:

what gaps can you see in this set of steps I’m doing to improve some slightly bumpy land I’ve got

Goals: cover crop / animal food plots to improve soil - ideally while slowing water runoff

1. **Brush Hog**: Clear higher brush to make the field manageable.
2. **Roundup**: Apply to kill off native plants and weeds.
3. **Subsoil**: Subsoil along keylines and contours to break the hardpan and improve water infiltration.
4. **Add Amendments**: Incorporate sulfur to lower pH as per soil test results.
5. **Disc Harrow**: Break up the soil and work in amendments.
6. **Rototill**: Further break up soil chunks.
7. **Wait**: Allow a couple of weeks for weed seeds to sprout.
8. **Roundup**: Reapply if new weeds have sprouted.
9. **Cultipack**: Firm the soil to prepare for seeding.
10. **Broadcast Seed**: Hand-seed the clover mix.
11. **Drag Harrow**: Lightly cover seeds.
12. **Cultipack**: Firm the soil again to ensure good seed-soil contact.
13. **Water and Fertilize**: Ensure the seeds have sufficient moisture and nutrients.

What did I miss?

 

[svenu]

Clover / rye mix for first cycle

 

[Hay Dude]

Might need to apply straw if you still have exposed seeds after step 12

 

[kthompson]

Not the biggest fan of Roundup. Here 24D controls brush and broadleafs better than Roundup.

This is a question, here we use lime to lower soil ph. Do they also use lime there. Just trying to still learn.

I have use a walk behind tiller and now have about a 7 foot for my tractor. While I agree it will leave soil better torn up compared to a disk, here farm land is disk if need be more than one and then maybe a field cultivator through it. Much faster than a tiller and easier on stumps.

 

[svenu]

This is a question, here we use lime to lower soil ph. Do they also use lime there. Just trying to still learn.

We use granulated sulfur- our soil has a lot of Austin chalk so this is our remedy for high pH due to our specific mix

Thanks for the info!

 

[jeff9366]

We need to know your LOCATION.


2. **Roundup**: Apply to kill off native plants and weeds. Wait ten days to two weeks.

1. **Brush Hog**: Clear higher brush to make the field manageable. "Scalp"

3. **Subsoil**: Subsoil along keylines and contours to break the hardpan and improve water infiltration.
4. **Add Amendments**: Incorporate sulfur and N-P-K as per soil test results. (90% sulfur takes 2-4 years to change soil pH significantly.)
5. **Disc Harrow**: Break up the soil and work in amendments.
6. **Rototill**
7. **Wait**: Allow a couple of weeks for weed seeds to sprout.
8. **Roundup**: Reapply if new weeds have sprouted.
9. **Cultipack**: Firm the soil to prepare for seeding.
6. **Rototill**: Very lightly till to kill emergent growth before seeding.
10. **Broadcast Seed**: Hand-seed the clover mix.
11. **Cultipack**: Press seeds into ground contact. Clover and other fine seeds require light to germinate.
12. **Cultipack**: Firm the soil again to ensure good seed-soil contact.
13. **Water and Fertilize**: Ensure the seeds have sufficient moisture and nutrients.

Excellent Wide Area / Long Throw Big Garden Impact Sprinkler

I recently ordered one of these Yuzuak (brand), Turkish manufactured, plastic impact sprinklers combined with a Sprinkler Innovations (brand) industrial strength T-post fixture. No sprinkler leaks. Very precise adjustment of spray splitting. No zinc in the T-post fixture; only steel and...

www.tractorbynet.com

Keep Roundup/Glycophosphate application to the bare minimum. Roundup is bad for fertility if used routinely.

Do not roto-till more than twice. You do not want powder. You want fine clumps.

 

[svenu]

Location is North Texas. Thanks for those tips!

 

[nyone]

You can smother a whole lot of weeds with cheap old cerial rye. No real need to even till or harrow either if you plant just before the dormant season for the rest of the plants.