Plowing 101

N80 · Sep 27, 2005

I have a Kubota L4400 4wd (45hp) with Ag tires. I would like to plant oats, clover, wheat, etc in small plots for deer and turkey. I have some small areas, all less than an acre that are cleared (no stumps or rocks) but haven't been plowed in decades. South Carolina peidmont. It is mostly clay type soil, not really red, but a little red. Thin layer of topsoil over it. Hard as concrete when dry, impossibly sticky when wet (you have to scrape it off a shovel or bucket, the hose won't do it.)

I know nothing about plowing. I've gotten a lot of varying advice. But I don't even know the proper application for plows, disks or tillers.

I'd appreciate a short primer on these attachements and what they do best and worst and which might be best for my tractor and soil type.

I'm not looking for a book, just the basics.

Thanks.

Yalerider · Sep 27, 2005

You may want to consider "no till", where you drill the seed into the soil, and then cover it up.

http://www.clemson.edu/fieldops/CGS/plow.htm

beenthere · Sep 27, 2005

( .....the proper application for plows, disks or tillers.

Thanks. )

Basics, a moldboard plow will turn the ground over, leaving soil that can be disked and prepped for a seed bed. The following year, that same area can be tilled with a tiller.

A sub-soiler will work up the ground (not turn it over, but just stir it up) after which it can be disked and prepped for a seed bed.

A moldboard plow is a learning process and takes patience and skill to do. The easier (less skill and patience) is using the subsoiler followed by a good disking that in time will leave you with a good seedbed.

N80 · Sep 27, 2005

Thanks. I'm asuming a moldboard is a basic 'spade' shaped plow? i know what a disk is and I know what a tiller is. What does a subsoiler look like?

N80 · Sep 27, 2005

Interesting.

I looked up sub-soilers so I know what they look like. What does one of these drills look like. Any links? I assuming you would still need to do some type of initial prep. The last time these fields where plowed was probably by a mule.

Egon · Sep 27, 2005

If you want good food plots on your type of soil go for the plow and disk. Some diamond harrows would also help for the seeding.

Egon

N80 · Sep 28, 2005

So you plow first and then run the disk over it?

Next stupid question: I have a chance get a box blade cheap. It has some 'tines' inside that look similar to subsoiler teeth. Can it be made to work like a subsoiler? Can you take the box off the box blade and just use the teeth?

(I'm asking all these silly questions because I trying to get out of this on the cheap and because these food plots are not really 'fields' per se, and are really more like tiny little clearings-so a text book food plot really isn't in the cards anyway. Maybe I could get someone to come in an plow and just buy the disk and not both.)

Yalerider · Sep 28, 2005

I did about an acre. I cleared the trees with a D-4 Cat and them used the my box blade with the rippers all the way down. After clearing the brush and weeds I finished it with the rippers up and planted annual ryegrass. It worked very well for me. I have clay soil also. The ryegrass roots should help loosen the soil more for next year.

wushaw · Sep 28, 2005

( Next stupid question: I have a chance get a box blade cheap. It has some 'tines' inside that look similar to subsoiler teeth. Can it be made to work like a subsoiler? Can you take the box off the box blade and just use the teeth? )

Just set the teeth to the lowest position and shorten your top link as far as it will go and wholla nothin but rippers..just keep the BB up a little so as not to gather any material in it.
This works very good.

cp1969 · Sep 28, 2005

If you have 'a thin layer of topsoil' and you plow it, will you not have buried the good dirt beneath the clay?

Egon · Sep 28, 2005

On the cheap! [That is the way I have to work]

The box blade rippers should work. You may not get the proper soil condition for optimum crop production but then that is not your object.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ed3357 · Oct 7, 2005

I have some ground to moldboard plow. The field hasn't been turned for quite a few years. I mowed the field in the summer. At what height should the vegetation be to plow the field?
Thanks,
Eric

TNhobbyfarmer · Oct 7, 2005

At what height should the vegetation be to plow the field?


The less and lower the vegetation, the easier it is to plow. Even if you bushog tall vegetation and leave the clippings on the ground they can ball up in any type plow. Disking the ground proir to plowing can help if the vegetation is thick. Roundup a few weeks prior to plowing can also help.

ed3357 · Oct 7, 2005

That makes sense.

However, let's say that the vegetation is a legume, and I want to capture the stored N, along with increasing the tilth by plowing under the cover crop. How tall should that cover crop be to maximize my soil fertility?
Thanks,
Eric

TNhobbyfarmer · Oct 10, 2005

However, let's say that the vegetation is a legume, and I want to capture the stored N, along with increasing the tilth by plowing under the cover crop. How tall should that cover crop be to maximize my soil fertility?


Not an expert here, but I thought the N was transferred to the soil through the roots of the legumes. If that's the case, plowing isn't critical to the process.

andrewj · Oct 14, 2005

hey fellas, I'm here in SC too - we don't use the moldboard/bottom/turning plow in my county (saluda). Pine country, thin layer of topsoil, if youturn it under all you are left wihth is red clay....not good.

Just use a chisel plow (sitrex is my favorite) chisel scarifies the dirt, pulls up roots so they don't come back so soon, and then you just go over it with either a drag harrow or landscape rake. Or a bedder, what ever your goal is. Stay away from a turning plow!

andrewj · Oct 14, 2005

( ( Next stupid question: I have a chance get a box blade cheap. It has some 'tines' inside that look similar to subsoiler teeth. Can it be made to work like a subsoiler? Can you take the box off the box blade and just use the teeth? )

Just set the teeth to the lowest position and shorten your top link as far as it will go and wholla nothin but rippers..just keep the BB up a little so as not to gather any material in it.
This works very good. )

sorry i just read that question - yes that's what I did before I got a chisel plow...your rippers in the bb don't go very deep, but maybe you don't need to go deep. give it a try.

browns40 · Oct 14, 2005

Right on TNhobbyfarmer,

Roots do the nitrogen binding.... longer cover gives you opportunity for more mulch/biomass to mix into the soil to assist with aeration, loosening, encouraging soil flora, etc... pre compost compost.

For a small plot, you don't need to go full bore for attachments,; the simplest solution will be best & cheapest. A hand tiller if real small... you can park the tractor where it can watch you... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

N80 · Oct 14, 2005

My place is in the central piedmont. You have a shallow layer of topsoil, about 20 inches of soft sticky clay (when wet) and below that is a crumbly sort of rock with lots of mica in it.

In any case, Andrew, you are right. I've never even seen a moldboard type plow around here. Most people have disks, but they use them on fields that have been plowed before.

Anyway, for rudimentary deer plots (as opposed to a crop for harvest), I don't think I need to go real deep and at least with a box blade I can find multiple uses for it.

Several friends who have soft pre-plowed fields, use PTO tillers a lot. But again, my ground is basically in a natural state.

Thanks for the input. Its really too late to do anything this year anyway, but hopefully next year I'll have a plan and if not the proper implements, at least some type of implement.