Discing basics

[Eric_Phillips]

I have been out playing with my new 6.5ft KK disc. I loaded it with about 215lbs and tipped it forward to do the initial cutting into the ground. I am trying to prepare the soil for a lawn. The sandy areas I have turned into large sandboxes. Now matter how many times I go over the gravely areas I only seem to get down about 1-2 inches. Is there anything I can do to get deeper in these areas?

I also have some spots where I had some good growth of native grasses. I killed everything with roundup before discing. I have been able to cut into these old grassy areas but it wont mix the old grass into the dirt. Is there a trick to getting things well mixed?

The last question is about speed. I have been running about 3 mph. Once things dry out again, we got some good rain today, I need to go back over things to get the clumps broken up. What is the rule of thumb with the speed? Should I be moving relatively quick, 3-4mph, or slower like 2-3mph?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[hobbyfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Discing basics)</font>
Drive back and forth across the property with disk in the "down" position. Repeat if necessary. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Your best bet would be to level out the disk (this will make all the discs cut and mix), and also try to adjust your gang angles to their maximum angle (this will make it cut more agressively). Your speed may also have your disk not mixing the soil right. Adding weight to the disk frame may also help.
If you experiment with different things, you'll find the "sweet spot" that your disk wants. It just takes time.

 

[beenthere]

Either plow the hard gravely areas or put black dirt over the top (may have to dig the gravel out first if just adding dirt makes it too high).

A disc is really (IMO) just to work up plowed ground. Otherwise, back and forth repeatedly is the only other way, and it takes a lot of trips, and still doesn't do the job like a plow first. Just my experience.

 

[andrewj]

you need to use chisel plow. a disk is not a plow. disking only cuts up the pieces the plow pulls up.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Discing is an often misunderstood practice. It SEEMS to loosen soil, but in reality, going over and over the same piece of earth only serves to COMPACT the ground even more. You might be cutting up soil on the surface, but down a few inches, it's getting harder than concrete.

This is EXACTLY the reason why no-till farming became so popular when it was first developed. (Fuel cost hadn't gone through the stratosphere just yet)

The chisel plow can undo SOME of the abuse that over-working land can cause.

Natural (freeze/thaw) methods will do, in time, what machines can't.

 

[Soundguy]

Do as the others said.. level the disc.. set it more agressively, and Ilike a bit of speed. Ground will dictate that though.

For coarse areas.. Ilike to rip with a box blade with the teeth down.

Soundguy