Which attachment should I get

[LabLuvR]

I have clay soil with a lot of smaller rocks. I am beyond tired of dealing with clay clods. I've been thinking about a cultipacker. The reason it seem appealing is that I can pack, plant and then pack again without changing implements. Some of my food plot are further from my house than I care to travel to change implements. Again. my primary focus is to break up the clods and be able to plant small seeds such as clover, buckwheat, millet etc.
I have also thought about a Perfecta, or a pulverizer. Honestly I am dang confused on which would work the best. Thanks for any insight!

 

[jeff9366]

• Tell us how you prepare your soil before seeding.

If your clods are dense, it will take a heavy Cultipacker to smush them.

A Pulverizer will break down the clods better.

Pulverizer will not roll seeds in and preserve moisture through ridge creation as well as a Cultipacker. Pulverizer tines which demolish clods may aerate and potentially dry seed bed slightly.

Between two above, an equal probability of seed germination in your conditions.

A PTO-powered Roto-tiller provides a smooth seed bed for most.

 

[LabLuvR]

Thanks I usually chisel plow and then go over with the disc.

 

[Dog Gone It]

I have high clay content soil as well. Ive found that time and moisture are my friends. After plowing, if I let my clods dry then they are hard as a rock and practically unbreakable in many respects , and no matter how much rain follows, they dont break up well at all with the disk.
Once you break ground, it might be best to disk asap and then Ive had good success with dragging a heavy gauged chain link fence after disking.
I planted winter wheat and Ladino this past fall using the above method with good results. I too wanted a cultipacker but couldnt justify one.

 

[jeff9366]

Thanks I usually chisel plow and then go over with the disc.

Do you adjust the gang angles on your Disc Harrow after each pass over the land?

ADJUSTING Three Point Hitch Mounted TANDEM DISC HARROWS

If you are considering the acquisition of a Disc Harrow, first read this LINK covering Disc Harrow selection: LINK: Disc Harrow Selection For 18-45 Horsepower Tractors (Revision 2b) The Three Point Hitch mounted Tandem Disc Harrow is a secondary tillage implement. The Disc Harrow is a...

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[LabLuvR]

Yes, Just very hard clay clods

 

[Hay Dude]

Do any of you have access to spent mushroom compost from mushroom houses? Works wonders if you aerate or chisel it in the top layer

 

[CoyPatton]

Have your soil ph tested. This will tell you what additives you can add.
Clay needs to be broken down several things you can add that are on different spectrums of the ph scale. There is no overnight cure to breaking clay down into a looser soil. While using an old stand by product will have the effect of uncloding clay, it can if over used create for a period of time cause only weeds to thrive in the soil. Of course this old stand by is manure. Chicken farms have be came popular about 1 hour from me, and their byproduct is fairly readily available if you can haul your own, it is fairly reasonable as well.

 

[LabLuvR]

Do any of you have access to spent mushroom compost from mushroom houses? Works wonders if you aerate or chisel it in the top layer

No but thanks for the idea

 

[jjp8182]

How are you seeding?

If broadcast spreading, I personally wouldn't worry about clods too much on a food plot (I don't in my garden when planting fall/winter cover crops of clover & rye). After getting the soil mostly prepped (moldboard plow & disc harrow in succession), I'll broadcast seed and then use either a single pass of a disc (running shallow) or a spike-toothed harrow (which may also break some clods) to throw some soil over the seeds.

While those clods can be annoying they can help the soil retain moisture and will eventually break down (with time & moisture). So unless they are causing problems for the equipment I'm not sure I'm following the reason/desire to break them up.

If anything with a soil that's largely clay, I'd be more concerned about creating too fine of powder/soil as that may end up creating a layer of soil that is more likely to cause water to become runoff (or puddles/ponds) rather than soak in and be retained (to an appropriate degree) in the soil. Either way adding more organic content (whether animal manure or plant matter) will help improve the soil.

Just for reference this is the spike-toothed I'm using: STH15 Series Spike Tooth Harrows | Land Pride ... which I include a link to here since it seems like one of those types of equipment that not many know about (even the dealer I bought it through wasn't familiar with them as most in the area tend to buy more chain drags/harrows)