First time plowing

[FrankNOhio]

Got out this morning and walked the previous day's battlegrounds and did my reviews and checks and set out for the vineyard area. Attached are some images of my set up in garage and in the field.

It was a good day and I did better today. Still had some 'ups and downs' with the plow digging in. I ended up working the 3pt lever as subtly as possible to keep from making craters.

In regard to tiller direct to sod, I had a tiller sales guy tell me I could till the sod directly without plowing as you mentioned, but I thought he was just trying to sell me the goods. I'd worry about screwing up the tiller somehow. I have a 3pt Land Pride rototiller (5ft).

Anyway, it's the wrong time of year for all these plots to be plowed (grapes going in this fall; blueberries next spring after added sulfer settles in), but I was itchin' to get acclimated to the plow so come Fall, after the soil amendments, I'd be a little better prepared.

Thanks to everyone for the tips and encouragement.

 

[vtsnowedin]

No ,it is a great time to plow. Roll it over and disk it once, then seed with rye. When it gets six inches to a foot high roll it over again then seed it with a legume (red clover) then roll that under just before you plant your cash crop. These are called green manure. There is another thread that has some videos on plowing . "bottom plow VS. center buster" I think. Worth watching but they don't know how to adjust a coulter.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Oh .. What screws up tillers is rocks. If you don't have any then don't worry about it. If you have some be ready to raise the tiller out of the work (and away from the rock) and then ease her back down on the back side of the rock. The clattering will be your guide.

 

[djradz]

Hey, that is sooooooooo, much better. As you note, you have to make only very minor adjustments of the 3pt. Still, to me, it seems as if you are plowing very shallow. Hard to tell for sure, but from what I can tell from the pictures, you seem barely below (and sometimes not even) the roots of the sod. I would think your deeper sections are what I'd consider good, or even the minimum. You have the R4s, so you'll be somewhat more challenged, but in 4wd you should be fine. A coulter would be nice in that thick sod too, but you you've got to use what you've got. A little bit of speed might help in flipping too, but it looks like it went OK at the current shallow height, but you may need to increase if you go deeper.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Just a thought for you first attempts. (I've never had to do this ) If it is so mixed up that it would be hard to disk or till it into a good seed bed you could re-plow it on a 45 degree angle to your first try to cut across each old furrow and chop it up so it will be easy to break up.
By the time you have flopped it over three or four times it should get so dizzy that the weeds don't know which way is up.

 

[FrankNOhio]

DJ, that 'shallow then deep' is an issue I'm not sure how to control well. I did another few rows for some blueberries we'll be putting in and had the same issue....

I plowed the first furrow with the plow level with the tractor, I set the plow full down (lever all the way down), and it dug in, but dug in DEEP so the tractor could not pull. So, I slowly lifted the lever up to where I thought enough dirt was being lifted and the tractor could still move.

I got the first furrow fairly even, but not deep as I think it should be.

On the second wheel in furrow, adjusted the plow to be even with the ground and once again put the lever down, but not all the way down and it moved along fairly well, but still ended up digging in deep at points. Then I'd have to once again lift the plow up and compromise the even depth of that furrow.

The ground is a slope, but I'm plowing across the slope so the ground is not uneven, it's all even ground, so I'm not sure why at times it's fine and then suddenly it digs in. Maybe I still need to fiddle with the top link adjustment.

Anyway, in the end, I'm having to constantly lift and lower the plow just to make it across. From what I've been reading online, I'm thinking I may need to buy a guide wheel.

I'm not really frustrated, just seems like I'm not doing something right or something. I still really enjoy plowing though. :thumbsup:

 

[vtsnowedin]

FranknOhio;
Have you seen this how to vidio?
How To Video Demos - Implements & Attachments

 

[FrankNOhio]

Oh yes. That guy is great. Most of what I know about implements has come from his site.

This video is what leads me to believe it's a top link adjustment that I need to look at.

Thanks for the link anyway VT. Much appreciated.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Oh yes. That guy is great. Most of what I know about implements has come from his site.

This video is what leads me to believe it's a top link adjustment that I need to look at.

Thanks for the link anyway VT. Much appreciated.

I think you are right. You haven't found the balance point where the weight of the soil on the moldboard equals the resistance from the ground below. Your plow being a one bottom and pretty light may be hard to get just right. The foot of the plow (The vertical bar that rides along the edge of the furrow) is quite short and thin so it can knife into the soil instead of running along as a runner supporting the plow at the right height. A gage wheel might be the answer but first I"d try adjusting the top link a little longer aiming the point up a bit to find the balance point. If you go too far the plow will start to climb out of the ground, then you can go back shorter. Even the expert in the video made ten adjustments to get it right.

 

[FrankNOhio]

Yup. I saw his constant adjustments over about a 4 row period. I'll work on it.

Thanks again for the pointers VT. Hope you have a good year and harvest.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Yup. I saw his constant adjustments over about a 4 row period. I'll work on it.

Thanks again for the pointers VT. Hope you have a good year and harvest.

Well I don't have a tractor at present and the 5045E I ordered isn't even promised until late June much less delivered. And both of us are working full time so there is no real need or time to grow anything beyond what we put in the kitchen garden. If the new tractor comes by the 4th of July I plan on doing a lot of past due brush hogging then plow up and plant two or three one half to one acre food plots and seed them down to "Wildlife beneficial species" then post an armed guard through the fall to make sure horned bucks don't steal all the feed from the fawns, turkeys and other beneficial wildlife. :licking:

 

[FrankNOhio]

That'll be my next challenge in the spring... we've got serious deer packs.

Moles, rabbit and deer.

I don't think I have enough bullets for them all.

 

[vtsnowedin]

That'll be my next challenge in the spring... we've got serious deer packs.

Moles, rabbit and deer.

I don't think I have enough bullets for them all.

Well stock up the next time you go to Walmart you wouldn't want to let them get the upper hand. It's a good sign having the wildlife competing to use your land. It shows that it is a quality piece of ground. From you photos I have to agree with them.

 

[Looking4new]

Well, at least you won't have to worry about putting meat in the freezer.
Venison roasts, Venison & Rabbit stews.:thumbsup:

 

[FrankNOhio]

This is a change in topic from my plow issues, but anyone have any good ideas on moles? When we bought the property I hadn't realized how big a problem these were because the previous owner never mowed or cut the fields. So under all that tall grass / brush I found networks of mole (or vole) push up tunnels.

I can't use toxic chemicals due to our organic aspirations.

I've started with the metal plunger fork traps, but man there are alot of these tunnels everywhere. We have a family of Barred owls around and cat and I've lured Turkey vultures to the property with various road kill, but it seems even that much natural help won't keep up.

Just wondering if anyone has had particular success with moles.

 

[Looking4new]

More hungry cats.

 

[djradz]

I think you are right. You haven't found the balance point where the weight of the soil on the moldboard equals the resistance from the ground below. Your plow being a one bottom and pretty light may be hard to get just right. The foot of the plow (The vertical bar that rides along the edge of the furrow) is quite short and thin so it can knife into the soil instead of running along as a runner supporting the plow at the right height. A gage wheel might be the answer but first I"d try adjusting the top link a little longer aiming the point up a bit to find the balance point. If you go too far the plow will start to climb out of the ground, then you can go back shorter. Even the expert in the video made ten adjustments to get it right.

I'll second these recommendations. Usually, WHEN IN THE FURROW, and at the depth I want, I'll have the top link adjusted so the landside (foot/runner) is flat/level or slightly lower at the back.

 

[FrankNOhio]

Thanks. Had not paid attention to that foot/runner till now. I'll check it next time I'm out there. Much appreciate the details.

 

[idaho2]

Frank,

Does your new (ordered) tractor have a draft control lever next to your 3pt up/down lever. If it does, suggest you read this section of the manual for your new tractor, very important to know how this works before operating it. This control is very important once you have your depth of plowing achieved. Basically the top link is connected to a sensor that detects pressure of the plow. Once the depth is achieved (proper plow setup) the draft control is then raised to point of where the plow just starts to lift. This is now your draft control position for the plowing depth of the plow.

idaho2

 

[FrankNOhio]

Idaho2, man I tell you what... That draft control is EXACTLY what I need. Unfortunately, it's not on my tractor and it's listed as 'optional' in the manual. The guy I bought the tractor from wasn't much of a salesman and that was one of many options he never mentioned, and I didn't know better to ask at the time.

I'll be ringing him up to see what it would take ($$$) to get that option because it sure sounds like what I'm needing.

Of course, that guy being such a poor salesman, by the time he gets back to me, I may (hopefully) have mastered, or at least wrangled, my way to a smoother plowing.

Thanks for the notice on that option.