Disc Harrow mound soil, how do I?

[Glenn K]

I am trying to make raised beds to grow blue berries some at 3m (10') and others at 2.4m (8') centres.
I have got the use of a merbein plough and set it at 2.4m which is as wide as it will go but at this width it does not move the soil to the centre. I was thinking if I made some sort of shaper to drag the soil into a mound shape it should work from here but I have never seen such a thing. Does anyone have a photo or link to a moulder? Or any other ideas.

 

[RalphVa]

Your discs (only need 2) are too far apart. I made raised rows with each disc right behind the rear wheels, which are right at 4' at their outer edge.

Ralph

 

[Glenn K]

Thanks Ralph but if it was set at 4' it would leave 4' (with 8' spacing) or with 10' spacing 5' of unmoved soil between rows. So I would sort of have twice as many rows as I want. Or am I not following you correctly?
Would a second run with what I have work?

 

[Ford850]

Glenn, I think you need to make a pass or two like you have, laying out the rows. Then adjust the disk to a narrow setting and make another pass or two to complete the hills.

 

[powerscol]

I agree you will want everything disked well before making the rows. Even if a second pas works you will have your plant routs trying to grow through undisturbed compacted soil. For the hill making pass, can you move the disks closer together?

 

[RalphVa]

I got 20 raised rows within a 75' garden length. Each raised row is short of 4' from the next one by about the width of a rear tire, with the discs as shown behind the wheels. I could just spin a 180 using my brakes and do the next row with the tractor tires running in the track made by the disc.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

I cut up the entire garden using 9 cultivator tines mounted on the same bar the discs are mounted on. It's an old JD M tool bar. The cultivator tines are called "soil rippers". Then I removed the tines and mounted the 2 big 20" discs.

Ralph

 

[Glenn K]

I first used a chisel plough then a rotary hoe and the soil is sand so I just need the rows formed. I will try a second run in a couple of days.

 

[Glenn K]

Will try a second run and see how I go, thanks.

 

[forestcreature1]

I am trying to make raised beds to grow blue berries some at 3m (10') and others at 2.4m (8') centres.
I have got the use of a merbein plough and set it at 2.4m which is as wide as it will go but at this width it does not move the soil to the centre. I was thinking if I made some sort of shaper to drag the soil into a mound shape it should work from here but I have never seen such a thing. Does anyone have a photo or link to a moulder? Or any other ideas.

Are you looking for a bed shaper?

Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 03-01 Bed Shapers

Another way to do this in more of a rounded mound shape is with a toolbar and a set of "hillers".

Google for Bayou Gardener or Everything Attachments to see an example. I use the single disc type hiller [as opposed to the gang of 3]

Angle of disc and distance between them depends upon many things; soil type, moisture, probably many more factors.

My toolbar [from Stevens Tractor] is their six shank model, with hillers [also called hippers in some parts of the country] and what they call a row opener.
This is an extension off the back of the bar with a shank holding a cultivator tip to make a trench in the mound you just made with the hillers.

Buckeye makes all sorts of gadgets for the market/specialty farm.
I do not own any of their stuff since I had already found what worked for me.
If I ever go into full time specialty crop, I will probably get a bed shaper & maybe a mulch layer attachment for it.

Hope that was of some value to you.

 

[Glenn K]

Are you looking for a bed shaper?

Hope that was of some value to you.

This was a huge help thankyou now I can search hillers, row hippers and bed shapper. Here they are called Merbein Ploughs and Moulders which doesn't find a lot on the net.

 

[wcampbell47]

Your close up of the row shows that you still have clods of dirt that the disc is pulling up. I use a tiller set to full depth to till the area I want to make rows in. A two disc hiller then does a great job because the soil is loose enough to move. I think you will achieve good results if you move the discs toward the center a bit. Experiment. Till the soil until you don't have clods, move the disc in a bit and leave space between rows to achieve the desired number of rows for the area.

 

[docrocky]

GlenK:
Here are some photos of a hiller I bought last year. I am sure you can put one together by your self. You don't need that large shoe (sweep) in the middle. It just makes a center groove on the hill for like planting potato's.
You Aussies were realty great to us Yanks during the Viet Nam War. A number of nurses from my hospital (95th. Evac)took there R&R in Australia and were treated like family with so much warmth and kindness. You are great people and I hope you can keep the invasion from the North out. We could come down under and help.
Rocky