What implement works best for controlling weeds, foxtails.

[jeff9366]

A Chain Harrow has four adjustments for aggressiveness in ground contact.

Two sides and swapping drawbar from one end to the other.

Did you sort through the four iterations to find most aggressive position, which is tines facing down and forward, counter to tractor pull?

A Chain Harrow is best at disrupting newly germinated seeds when delicate new growth is just visible. At this stage weeds are highly vulnerable and a Chain Harrow is positioned in its most aggressive position does a good job.

We Chain Harrow for weed control one or two days after a rain in the organic Blueberry field where I volunteer. The rain enables seed germination. As with any other cultivator, the sun then has to dry out visible and invisible seedlings dragged. If it rains before weeds dry, some will replant themselves.

Roto-tiller, of course, is more aggressive at killing seedlings than a Chain Harrow, but slower over the field.

The new growth is mostly from new seeds germinating IF YOU TILLED DOWN TO THE DEPTH OF WEED ROOTS. It takes time but you will eventually exhaust the seed bank in the soil.

The light Chain Harrow in your photo should be sufficient IN ITS MOST AGGRESSIVE MODE, USED AFTER A RAIN.

 

[bcp]

Tool bar with cultivator shanks,



With these arranged in an overlapping pattern.



Bruce

 

[Catman8]

A Chain Harrow has four adjustments for aggressiveness in ground contact.

Two sides and swapping drawbar from one end to the other.

Did you sort through the four iterations to find most aggressive position, which is tines facing down and forward?

Yes I went through all four choices and it still left growth, like you mentioned after a rain it might work better. The chain harrow I have is small and I was dragging it with a ridding mower, maybe it's not heavy enough like one used with a tractor. Would a landscape rake do a better job at removing the new growth?

 

[jeff9366]

Once weeds are showing green, it is too late to successfully cultivate with a Chain Harrow.

Once weeds are showing green you have to use the Roto-tiller. Have you used a spade to determine how deep your most pestiferous weed roots penetrate? Chopping weeds in half with the Roto-tiller will only kill some. You have to cultivate weeds to the root tips, then, after root disturbance, weeds have to dry. Whatever implement, you have to cultivate green weeds to the root tips.

Roto-tiller is the right implement. You need to get deep enough and you need to roto-till periodically until the seed bank is exhausted. Each time you till, hopefully you will only need to make one pass with the roto-tiller.

The advantage of the Chain Harrow is that it does not pulverize soil structure. But you have to use a Chain Harrow when the new seedlings are barely visible after moisture permits germination. At that very early stage you will destroy many newly germinated seeds with invisible structure.

No, a Landscape Rake will not work. Tines are too flexible for anti-weed cultivation. Tines scratch on the surface; they do not penetrate. A Chain Harrow set aggressively is more aggressive than a Landscape Rake.
Due to tine spacing, a Landscape Rake has 75% cultivation coverage. A Chain Harrow has 100% cultivation coverage.

 

[jeff9366]

The chain harrow I have is small and I was dragging it with a ridding mower, maybe it's not heavy enough like one used with a tractor.

While a Chain Harrow with heavier 1/2" chain will certainly cut better than the one you have, Chain Harrow effectiveness in cultivation mode is 75% abrasive scratching effect of the tines and 25% weight. Used on barely germinated new seedlings the Chain Harrow you have is ample. Recently germinated new seedlings are extremely fragile.

 

[Ford850]

Once you have the soil worked up like you have in the picture with the weed seedlings, I think a large land plane might be your best bet. It would slice off small weeds and redistribute the soil into a nice flat/smooth surface.

 

[Catman8]

The root measured 9 to 10". The small weed that I was trying to remove with the chain harrow was 3"



As summer time approaches the dirt is going to get harder, do you think it would be a good idea to roto till the field now why the dirt is soft and mix all the dead grass into the dirt, or should I wait until next spring when it just starts to grow. I know it would be a good idea to rake all the grass and seeds up so they don't reseed but that would be way to much work and I would have no way of getting rid of it, and I think burn season is over in this county.

 

[jeff9366]

As summer time approaches the dirt is going to get harder, do you think it would be a good idea to roto till the field now why the dirt is soft and mix all the dead grass into the dirt, or should I wait until next spring when it starts to grow?

You are trying to DEPLETE the soil seed bank. Why consider turning under ADDITIONAL seed to germinate next season?

Call your county agricultural extension agent, determine the open burn season and see if you can get a burn ban exemption or an ag burn permit.

Your Chain Harrow should gather a lot of the debris. You can improvise a Chain Harrow Lift cheaply.
LINK: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...c-countyline-tarter-boom-pole.html?highlight=

If you cannot burn, I suggest bagging the seed rich debris, then storing bags until you can later burn, or deposit bagged debris in a land fill.

 

[Catman8]

You are trying to DEPLETE the soil seed bank. Why consider turning under ADDITIONAL seed to germinate next season?

Call your county agricultural extension agent, determine the open burn season and see if you can get a burn ban exemption permit.

Ok, thanks
I remember that thread, and I have a TSC boom pole.

 

[cat fever]

Lynn, my dirt is soft but it will harden up some in the summer, will a spring tooth harrow cut through hard dirt or only soft. I see you have a disc in the picture behind the spring tooth harrow, what do you use your disc for.

What kind of finish does a spring tooth harrow leave. How deep does it dig. Does it uproot the weeds and they die.

Thanks.

Sorry for the late reply, I was busy yesterday.
The best time to use the spring tooth is after it rains. Once the soil has been gone through it will work fine anytime. I read many of the replies and do not agree with most. Mowing is not the answer. All that will do is make the foxtail seed out at a lower height. You have to wait for the seeds to grow just a little then rip up the plant before they can go to seed. Some seeds can lay dormant for years, that's why you have to keep ripping them up. After a few years they will start to go away.
As far as the Goat heads. (tack weeds) good luck. This is what I did and I live on 6 acres. Every week I went around with the wheelbarrow or truck and would pull them up by the root being very careful to not drop any seeds. Works best after a rain. I also used round up. I have been at it for at least 10 years. Those seeds can lay dormant for 7 years then start growing. I finally, in the last year or two can say I have them eradicated from my property. Once in awhile I see one creeping in from a neighbor but I'm on them like a duck on a June bug.:laughing: I have hauled off several truck loads piled as high as the top of the cab. I do feel your pain when it comes to goat heads. They SUCK.ullinghair:
You ask about the disc, I mainly farm my land for hay so I use it for turning the soil over. For what you want to accomplish I think a spring tooth is the best. It will dig as deep as you set the wheels, they are adjustable. Yes, it will rip up the roots.
Here is how it leaves the field. I do have a leveling drag behind the spring tooth.