cultivator, disk, or spike harrow

[sedmond]

I am trying to decide between a cultivator (single row or double row), small disk harrow, or spike (drag) harrow. Each is better suited to particular tasks, but I cannot justify buying all and am trying to decide which one I need the most. Ideally, I would want to be able to use it for several tasks.

I have about 8 acres of pasture that is mostly a mix of tall fescue and bermuda (and of course some weeds) that currently is stocked with goats (the previous owner had horses).

I want to introduce some white clover into the current grass to cut down on fertilizing. I thought I should probably break up some of the sod before broadcasting seed (or is this not necessary?). There is also a small area (1/4 acre) that has suffered some erosion and is very rough (bumpy) with thin ground cover that needs to be smoothed and overseeded. A spike harrow could help, but would it expose enough soil thru the existing sod to help clover germinate?

How about using a single or double row cultivator to disturb the sod before broadcasting clover, or would this not work well on untilled ground (Alabama clay)? A cultivator could also be useful in my small (40x75 foot) garden. Does pulling a row cultivator behind a tractor work with small gardens? (I know most people use chemicals or mulch to control weeds, and I have tried both.)

Would a disc harrow be better or would it destroy too much of the existing grass? And would a disc be useful for anything else? I already have a 48" rototiller as well as a small walk behind tiller.

Any input appreciated.
Steve

 

[flusher]

I am trying to decide between a cultivator (single row or double row), small disk harrow, or spike (drag) harrow. Each is better suited to particular tasks, but I cannot justify buying all and am trying to decide which one I need the most. Ideally, I would want to be able to use it for several tasks.

I have about 8 acres of pasture that is mostly a mix of tall fescue and bermuda (and of course some weeds) that currently is stocked with goats (the previous owner had horses).

I want to introduce some white clover into the current grass to cut down on fertilizing. I thought I should probably break up some of the sod before broadcasting seed (or is this not necessary?). There is also a small area (1/4 acre) that has suffered some erosion and is very rough (bumpy) with thin ground cover that needs to be smoothed and overseeded. A spike harrow could help, but would it expose enough soil thru the existing sod to help clover germinate?

How about using a single or double row cultivator to disturb the sod before broadcasting clover, or would this not work well on untilled ground (Alabama clay)? A cultivator could also be useful in my small (40x75 foot) garden. Does pulling a row cultivator behind a tractor work with small gardens? (I know most people use chemicals or mulch to control weeds, and I have tried both.)

Would a disc harrow be better or would it destroy too much of the existing grass? And would a disc be useful for anything else? I already have a 48" rototiller as well as a small walk behind tiller.

Any input appreciated.
Steve

I have 10 acres of flat pasture of which 8 will become my hayfield later this year. For the time being I'm letting the native grasses grow and this Spring plan to check out my haying equipment on that crop before investing in seed and fertilizer.

I assume that the goats have cropped the fescue and bermuda pretty short. I'd run my spring tooth harrow (aka field cultivator) over the pasture fairly lightly and then overseed with your broadcast seeder. Got this one for $200.

For my veg garden I use either a 48" Yanmar 1200 rototiller or my Bolens G14 garden tractor with a 32" rototiller.

Found this one on craigslist for $600 with mid-mount mower and rototiller.

 

[ninefinger]

I just got a pulverizer last week to do some re-landscraping with and it does a really nice job leveling and getting enough earth stirred up to plant cover or clover, breaks up the dirt clods, best of all it is a fun implement to use. Of course this will destroy the grass you are running over. It would probably be just the thing for the 1/4 A plot.

 

[daBear]

I have neither, but I would suspect the spike harrow would jump up and down a lot without accomplishing much on your soil and a small disk harrow used lightly would work fine.

 

[kthompson]

If you are talking about the field crop type cultivator made or sweeps that is not what you want. You can run a disk with the blades set about straight to do what you want. But, you may find that pasture is so hard it needs more opening up with something deeper such as a subsoiler. A good way to find out is try digging through it by hand and see how well that works. Also does water tend to sit on places also a good sign it has a hard plan or has been packed by the livestock or even water. Have a friend who is top notch large farmer with cows and pastures. He has a large home made roller with spikes on it like a lawn aerator that he uses for getting the pasture ready to over seed and to help open up the dirt where packed.

 

[Oleozz]

The biggest problem I have on our ground with a cultivator or a spike tooth harrow is the amount of stones that they drag to the surface. I have stopped using both for that reason and now use a disc and a cultipacker.

 

[Skerby]

if you just want to establish clover in an existing field, can't you just cut the field short and rent a quality overseeder that'll slice and deposit the clover? i would think the discing will tend to hurt the established grasses...

 

[pitt_md]

I have about 7 acres that is in the same condition as what your talking about. Mine is a horse pasture that in some spots has been over grazed and has a big time thistle problem. I have spoke with a couple of the local experts who advise me to spray for the weed problem and overseed.

I have a 6' tiller that I am tempted to use to rip up the entire mess and start over.

I would be very interested to hear what you decide on and how it works out for you.

 

[N80]

I think a disk would give you the most all around utility and should do what you want it to do. A disk gives you more options for how aggressive you want to be. I think a spike harrow would be useless. A toothed cultivator would probably be fine but I think you'll fnd more uses for a disk.

Either the disk or the cultivator will mess up your current grass some. But, if you set the disk not too agressively it will score the ground pretty well, but not very deep and it won't move the dirt much. The grasses should recover pretty quickly and you'd give the clover a slight seed bed to get started in. However, like you, I have no idea if the clover needs a prepped seed bed. It may not.

If not, spraying for weeds and overseeding, as mentioned above, might be easier.

I've just found that a disk is not only a useful impelment, but quite versatile as well. Generally a good investment.

 

[JSharp]

if you just want to establish clover in an existing field, can't you just cut the field short and rent a quality overseeder that'll slice and deposit the clover? i would think the discing will tend to hurt the established grasses...

My thought too. Find a no-till seeder and leave the existing grass intact.

 

[sedmond]

Sounds like a disk may be my best option. Will I also need some type of drag harrow behind the disk if I am only disking "lightly"?

Some disk appear to have notched blades on both the front and back and others have notched blades only on the front set. What difference does this make?

I originally was shying away from buying a disk since I already have a tiller.

Steve

 

[N80]

Sounds like a disk may be my best option. Will I also need some type of drag harrow behind the disk if I am only disking "lightly"?

Probably not. But, if you disk heavily, then seed, you might need a drag harrow to lightly cover the seed. I've gotten good results (cow peas, sorghum, sunflowers, oats, etc) by disking heavily (usually after plowing), then broadcasting then disking with the disk gangs straight and not using a drag harrow at all. YMMV.

Some disk appear to have notched blades on both the front and back and others have notched blades only on the front set. What difference does this make?

I've ben told that notched disks are better for chopping clods and turf etc. All the disks on mine were notched and they seem to work well. I've seen disks where they are all un-notched. Others mixed. For most of us it probably makes no difference.

I originally was shying away from buying a disk since I already have a tiller.

Steve

They do similar things. A tiller almost certainly 'tills' better and is great for smaller areas. A disk can cover a lot more ground a lot faster and in general you can probably find more tasks to do with a disk.

I think a disk will serve you well, but definitely consider all the responses you've gotten here.

 

[kthompson]

sedmond, agree with N80 very much.

The notch blades are for crop trash. Crop trash will get caught in the notches and get cut where often will just keep being pushed by the round blade. That is why you see them on the front and round on the if you see both on a disk. The more trash you have the more valuable they are. As to clods, no idea there. If the dirt were right clean think you get more complete cut with the round blades as you get the full depth all the way around the blade.

 

[dawoodwa]

When I worked on the dairy we would overseed our pastures every fall, about 300 acres worth. We would adjust our harrows so that the disks were straighter, then we would broadcast the seed and lightly disk over it pulling a drag behind the disk. We too have classic red clay but in the fall we would have to keep the wheels on the ground to keep the disk from going in to deeply. Of course we were using a pull disk which has more weight on the disks but I have done this also with my 3pt disk with good results.

 

[Wingone]

Here is a little unit I have on order and looking to do very similar things you are looking at doing.

Aerator Products

I'm thinking I will either disk or use my scarifier to lightly scratch open the dirt.

 

[Wingone]

oops.. its the Ferguson 3pt yardmaker.. just realize the link had several pieces of equipment on it. darn mouse clicking.. it does what I tell it to do and not always what I want it to do..

 

[Skerby]

you're not gonna grow sqat after discing and waste your money on seed. good luck.
your question is like this one, i have a hammer are screwdriver and a pocket knife, which one is the best to mine salt with?
use the right tool for the right job.

 

[N80]

you're not gonna grow sqat after discing and waste your money on seed. good luck.

You might be right, but no more likely to be right than anyone else who has answered so far. I have done what he is talking about, using a disk. Not only did I get a good yield (although it was not clover) it also did not significantly damage the existing grass. When a disk is set with the gangs out straight, it does little more than put a long grove in the ground. It does not go deep and does not move much dirt. It does not 'turn' any sod.

your question is like this one, i have a hammer are screwdriver and a pocket knife, which one is the best to mine salt with?

That's correct. So why would someone then answer that he needs a $100,000 saltminer? He has what he has, or what he can resaonably aquire. Which of those is best?

use the right tool for the right job.

A no-till drill would be the right tool for the job. If he can rent one and if his tractor can pull it and if it can handle his soil, then that would be a good option. But those are 'ifs' that he has to answer, not you or me. And, when he's done renting it, he has nothing to show for it but the crop. If he gets a disk or a cultivator then he will get years of additional use from them.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

you're not gonna grow sqat after discing and waste your money on seed. good luck.
your question is like this one, i have a hammer are screwdriver and a pocket knife, which one is the best to mine salt with?
use the right tool for the right job.

There's a whole bunch of us old farmers who've re-seeded pastures and hayfields by discing, broadcasting seed, then cultipacking, and done so with amazing success for a bunch of years. I'd question your knowledge and reasoning for making a statement of "absolute" nature, knowing full well myself that it WILL work in most cases.

There are BETTER alternatives in some instances, IF available and IF afordable and IF conditions are right. But often the BEST alternative is the one you can afford.

 

[hotchkiss]

Those who say there are better options available than the three you have described are correct. However, as noted by FWJ, we often have to select the best option that is reasonably available to us. As far as I am concerned, the best option would be to HIRE SOMEONE to spray the pasture with Roundup, wait a few weeks until the weeds and grass start to grow again, spray with Roundup again, wait a few more weeks and spray a third time. Then hire someone to plant grass and clover with a no-till drill. Wait for the mixture to grow and pay someone to raise your goat and do all of the other work that needs done around your farm/home while you enjoy your family, friends and life in general. However, that isn't an option that is available to most of us.

To answer your question, I believe the disc harrow would work best. Like FWJ, I have reseeded a lot of ground with a disc harrow. I wait until the ground is moist enough to expose some soil by disturbing the ground ever so lightly. Straighten your discs out while using the disc - a little angle goes a long way. Then broadcase your seed and cultipack. It works very well and should not damage your grass; provided you do not try to do this during the heat of the summer.

You have indicated that you have Alabama clay and plan on planting white clover. Keep in mind that white clover does better in bottomland or areas that do not dry out too much during the summer. Red clover is a perennial that you might want to consider depending upon how much soil mositure you have throughout the year. The down side of red clover is that it will not likely last as many years as white clover.