What implement to cultivate land with rocks- plow, tiller or ??

[flusher]

I live in Central Texas and has lots of rocks underneath my ground. Taking a shovel will not get you very far.

What implement should I use to clear the rock as well as turnover the dirt? Will I need a tiller, plow, rake or ??? I know I will need to manually clear them once they are up on the surface, but what do I use for the initial breaking of the ground? TIA.

Rocks? What's the range of sizes on your field?

If it's gravely loam like I have on my 10 acres, the rock component is mostly gravel with a scattering of potato size rocks and the soil is pretty thin. I pick up the big rocks by hand.

I'd be careful before doing any deep plowing (6-10") and turning over your soil because you may just end up burying what good soil you have. I just use a 6.5 ft wide offset disc with a chain link fence drag hitched on the back of the disc for primary tillage on my hayfield.

 

[mooseracing]

Nice but I'd imagine a rock rake FEL bucket would be less than half the price. Shouldn't be too hard to fabricate a simple one for a few hundred bucks either. I'd get one of your thingies if I had multiple fields to do every year though!

While it is expensive it is easier to use in large fields. You can cruise along and see what you are picking up the whole time, not to mention you can pick up alot more at once along with carrying more.

The both have positives and negatives, but if you have a large field to clean, that tow behind is nice.

 

[IslandTractor]

While it is expensive it is easier to use in large fields. You can cruise along and see what you are picking up the whole time, not to mention you can pick up alot more at once along with carrying more.

The both have positives and negatives, but if you have a large field to clean, that tow behind is nice.

Yep, there is a golden mean in there somewhere. I'd imagine it is over an acre though given the $3000 price of even a used rock picker.

 

[jimgerken]

Yes, as posted by FLUSHER above, What size rocks? Also, why are you tilling, so we know how deep you really need to go. I have found that a rotary tiller buries the rocks, while a disk brings them to the surface better.

 

[cowski]

chisel plow would be the best ,less breakage.then pick them up by hand.

 

[arcteryx]

THanks for the replies. To start, it will probably be 1/4 of an acre, then add another 1/4-3/4 more in the winter. I want to try and get in a fall crop, so I dont want to tackle too much in the next few weeks.

As far as the ground, it's mainly limestone where I am at. Rocks are small to medium size and are hidden underground. Many rocks are hidden. I am not sure how deep the soil is due to the hardness of the ground, but it's at least 5-6". I envision finding them in the ground, then having to pick them up manually. I dont have a FEL (yet)., nor any implements, so this would be my first. The more versatile the better.

 

[jenkinsph]

For a small area a disc, or tiller should both work to loosen the soil. After a rain or two to wash off the soil there should be lots of rocks on the surface to rake up.

 

[dmay]

THanks for the replies. To start, it will probably be 1/4 of an acre, then add another 1/4-3/4 more in the winter. I want to try and get in a fall crop, so I dont want to tackle too much in the next few weeks.

As far as the ground, it's mainly limestone where I am at. Rocks are small to medium size and are hidden underground. Many rocks are hidden. I am not sure how deep the soil is due to the hardness of the ground, but it's at least 5-6". I envision finding them in the ground, then having to pick them up manually. I dont have a FEL (yet)., nor any implements, so this would be my first. The more versatile the better.

For such a small area, and small rocks, a slip clutch tiller will work fine. Just set the clutch light. Then take a wheel barrow or garden wagon and manually pick up the rocks.

 

[Don87]

I'm a firm believer in using a single bottom plow, or a middlebuster first on unkown ground, then till afterwards(a $150 middlebuster or plow is cheaper to replace than a $1400 tiller). The middlebuster is actually a great idea as you can use it for other purposes such as digging ditches, or burying water lines or electric cables..............not to mention that after several years of tilling.........you want to run a middlebuster or something to break up the 'hard pan' that will develop from using a tiller(got that last tip from TripleR IIRC).

 

[arcteryx]

Funny you should say that- I went to Tractor Supply today to see what they had. They had a middle buster and one bottom plow. What are the differences between the two?

I am leery to put an expensive piece of equipment into unknown ground. I do like the option of having a spring (or at least a shear bolt) on it as I am sure some of these rocks will be decent size.