ddivinia
Elite Member
If you are happy with it - works for me.
D.
D.
best implement to till land
- Thread starter drjay9051
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Rara Avis
Veteran Member
drjay9051 said:
Contact your local Ag Extension Agent and get some more input...
The reason for plowing...is to roll the current growth deep enough that it will die trying to resurface...without having to go the herbicide route...
Here are some costs to hire it done...
This Old Hayfield: A Fact Sheet on Hayfield Renovation
What does it take to convert my overgrown lot to a hayfield?
Hard work and patience. You can use aggressive or passive techniques for land-clearing. Once the field is clear of stones and stumps which may require a bulldozer with a grubber blade or a backhoe, and hours of stone-picking do a soil test and add lime as needed to bring the pH up to whatever your planned hay crop requires. Lime migrates slowly in soil, so adding more than 2.5 tons/acre may require a year or so of alternate crops before the pH is at the required level. Heavy applications of lime should be disced in; surface application initially affects only the top 1/2 inch of soil. Once the pH is where you want it, you can either disc the field thoroughly before seeding, or kill the existing vegetation with Round-UpTM (or 2,4-D or atrazine) and plant no-till.
A heavy drag behind the disc harrow will help level the field. For areas of the country where the hayfields must be irrigated, the efficiency of irrigation will depend on the care put into leveling the field. Large fields may require laser leveling equipment, a theodolite, or a leveling plane. In dry areas, steep grades may cause washouts of seed from heavy rains after seeding.
To control weeds, it sometimes works well to plant an interim cover crop, like buckwheat, oats, rye, or dwarf rape that you can later disc in, perhaps with a heavy application of manure, before you seed the hay. A dense stand of buckwheat will choke out weeds that would overwhelm a hay seeding, and add to the tilth of your soil when you disc it in. Temporary crops like rape, turnips, rye, or oats can provide pasture for animals or a quick cutting of hay while they're helping get the field ready for seeding hay. In some areas, broadleaf herbicides (2,4-D) are sprayed on young oats to control weeds.
Seeding
On a disced field, after you've applied the needed fertilizer, a Brillion or other heavy seeder will do the best job with small seeds like alfalfa or timothy; a drill will work well with larger seeds. If you can't borrow a seeder, you can broadcast from a hand-carried Cyclone seeder for small seeds (alfalfa, timothy, orchard-grass) or a three-point-hitch fertilizer spreader for larger seeds like oats. Increase the application rate over the seed bag recommendation if you are broadcasting. Rolling broadcast seed will probably provide the highest germination rate. If you don't have a roller, disc large seeds lightly after broadcasting; a pass with a drag or branches will cover small seeds.
For no-till seeding, you may be able to borrow the needed machine from a local agricultural extension or NRCS office. It is important to follow the instructions for early mowing or grazing to control weeds after no-till seeding.
In some areas, fall seedings work well, and provide hay the next spring. In general, planting time is site and crop specific. Talk to knowledgeable local people, including extension or NRCS agents and other farmers, to find what works in your area. Some farmers like to plant oats as a cover drop with spring or late summer seedings. The fast-growing oats are supposed to keep down weeds. Be sure to inoculate legume seeds to increase the nitrogen-fixing ability of the alfalfa or clover.
