Jim:
I appreciate what you are trying to do. I am in SC too. I am not a farmer, but I am learning to be. I will tellyou what I have learned - first step is to send off a sample to Clemson for testing. They will tell you exactly how much fertilizer to put down per acre. work your butt off with the wrong ph and you got nothing. Clemson will tell you what you need (if anything) Maybe 50 pounds, more, or less. Just because that land was fallow doesn't mean it is ready to grow crops. the next most important thing I learned this year is soil compaction. (or avoiding compaction, that is) Compaction is a farmer's enemy. jEvenafter planting, you just lightly rake loose dirt over, you don't pack it in.
We plow with a chisel plow and then harrow with disk to break up the soil, loosen it up. If you could fluff it up into a powder that would be ideal. (Obviously tillers are perfect forthis role once you have plowed the new ground). But you don't need a tiller. Your new ground will need to be chisel plowed three ways, strait, 90degrees, then 45 degrees. then disk it to break up the clods. I saw your yellow scarifier, that will be perfect.
Having said all that, i realize your chinese job laid down on you, so instead of plowing the whole field now, can you rent a walk behind tiller and till a 12 inch wide strip for the length of the field, every 12 to 24 inches? If you can do that, then if you start this weekend, you have 45 days till Oct 15 and the first frost. You can get a butload of collards in, carrots, and a handful of other fall crops that may produce for you. seeing as how beans need 60 days roughly, I can't see you producing any now. But you may still try collards and carrots. and a little bit of miracel grow. im in saluda county.
