De-rocking

[CWP37]

What's the best implement to de-rock a pasture?

 

[Egon]

Rock picker! Really.

 

[Neophyte]

Before or after it has been mowed?

 

[VistanTN]

If your hills are anything like ours (foothills of the Cumberland Plateau) de-rocking is about as practical as emptying the ocean with a bucket brigade. Every good rain and EVERY freeze-thaw cycle our hills present us with a whole new crop of stone wall components. I pick up the bug ones by hand, the middle size ones are the toughest, but the landscape rake with every other tooth removed does a fair job. The amsll ones aren't worth the trouble. Most of ours are lime or sandstone and often pretty soft so they do break down. Every once in a while we'll get a chunk of something really hard and solid.
VistanTN

 

[Eric_Phillips]

Vistan,
So you use your landscape rake on a growing pasture? I have been wondering how well a rake would do to remove rock from an existing lawn or pasture. I figured it would either not move the rock or just tear up the grass.

Eric

 

[mikim]

In the hill country? can't imagine it's possible - just pick up the big ones that could damage your mower - each time it rains you'll have a new crop

 

[CWP37]

What's a good brand / type of rock picker?

 

[whodat90]

What's a good brand / type of rock picker?

If you have kids, they can do a pretty good job.

 

[Egon]

For mechanized rockpickers you'd have to do a search and find one that is compatible with your tractor. There are many different kinds out there.

 

[slowzuki]

Most reasonably priced rock pickers are designed to work in a plowed field to remove the rocks. The really expensive ones have a carbide rock crushing function and tear up the top couple of inches of soil, pulverize it and spit it out hte back. Here you see them mounted on 200 hp Valtra's, the ones you can spin the seat and drive backwards in.