Tillers vs. Plows

[Birdbrain]

Hi Folks,
What are your preferences for tilling the garden or a few (~5) acres? I have thick topsoil, flat land, no rocks and some drainage issues in spots. To date, I have plowed and disked. I will be buying a new tractor soon and would like to know some opinions / preferences in order choose new implements.

Thanks,
Glen

 

[Barneyhunts]

Hi! Welcome to this site! My property has a lot of rocks. I have a rototiller that mounts to a 22 Hp Kubota BX 2200 and I used that to open up a new garden. I had to take shallow cuts (1 1/2 - 2") and pick rock between every pass until I was several inches deep. Since that first year tilling has been a pleasure, though I still have to pick some rock every year. Last Year I plowed and disced about 2 acres to plant food plots. There was so much stone that I couldn't imagine using a tiller, but, if the stone wasn't there I would have preferred a tiller. A bigger one than the one I use in my garden.

 

[Birdbrain]

I should add that we have always plowed and disked every spring to turn under last year's garden leftovers. I have the added benefit of a Farmall A to cultivate for weed control through the growing season.

 

[sunspot]

Hi, I'm new to this but I have been doing a lot of reading here at TBN. There seems to be an issue about using a tiller only. Some feel it will create a hardpan below where the tines can reach.
Based on my reading, I'm going to plow when needed and then use a disc and a drag harrow for the finishing touch. YMMV.

 

[Birdbrain]

Keep thinking of things. I have always enjoyed plowing even with the undersized tractor and piece of junk plows that we have used for years. I am excited about the idea of plowing and working the land with a new tractor, more horsepower and properly sized implements. It should be a lot better than before.

Last year, my dad had his garden worked with a tiller by a neighbor. I thought it worked the ground up into a fluff. So while that is my only experience, my bias is against a tiller.

Leads me into another question about the size tractor needed to plow. In researching what we had on the farm when I was growing up (as a baseline for comparison), I found that a Farmall A (16 hp) was billed as a 'one plow tractor', an H (25 hp) as a 2 plow, and a M (35 hp) as a 3 plow. How would that translate to a modern tractor with 4WD? What are the plowing capabilities of various 20-40 hp tractors? What combinations of tractor / plow/ acres does anyone have?

Thanks,
Glen

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Plow then TILL. That's what I do with my garden. Tiller works deeper than without plowing. If you like plowing, there's not too many reasons to STOP.

ANY tillage method, short of subsoiling/deep ripping/chisel plowing will create some degree of plow pan. I use a subsoiler on my garden every few years to break that compaction layer. Not many tillage tools do more to compact soil than a disc. They loosen a few inches and pack everything under that level.

While I was still farming, I rotated corn and soybeans in 2 fields for near 30 years. They were plowed and disced before corn, and disced before soybeans were planted. 8" to 10" down it was like hitting a layer of asphalt. That's why old school tillage methods have all but disappeared from farming

 

[RFB]

F.W.J.,

"old school tillage methods have all but disappeared"

What methods are now being utilized, and what is your opinion regarding same?

 

[radman1]

F.W.J.,

"old school tillage methods have all but disappeared"

What methods are now being utilized, and what is your opinion regarding same?

We rotate between soybeans and corn on our fields. We do "no till" on nearly all of our soybeans and corn. We use a rolling stalk chopper on the corn, and then planter on the previous corn fields. Soybeans have very little remaining residue and just get planted. Many farmers still disc their fields but becoming less common every year. The plow is nearly extinct for farming in my area. My brother bought an 8 bottom JD land plow a few years ago for $500 in excellent condition. He was bidding against the iron recycling guy. (A land plow is big enough so the tractor dual rear wheels don't have to follow in the furrow and tractor stays up on the "land".)

 

[Z-Michigan]

We rotate between soybeans and corn on our fields. We do "no till" on nearly all of our soybeans and corn. We use a rolling stalk chopper on the corn, and then planter on the previous corn fields. Soybeans have very little remaining residue and just get planted. Many farmers still disc their fields but becoming less common every year. The plow is nearly extinct for farming in my area.

This is what I see all the local farmers doing... except I don't know what a rolling stalk chopper is, so I can't tell if they're using those or conventional disk harrows. But they do no-till apart from any disking (maybe this = reduced tillage) using herbicides. One farmer pulls a big wagon sprayer with a tractor, another rents the farm co-op's enormous JD self propelled sprayer. I do have to wonder whether sprayer ruts are an issue?

The farmer who uses the wagon sprayer mentioned he was going to "zone tillage" as of this past spring, which I understand uses a specialized type of chisel plow/subsoiler to open up the root zone only where the planter will put seed, to maximize root growth without using ridiculous amounts of HP for the tillage.

I don't see turning plows in use much. The son of the second farmer has what looks like a 7-shank subsoiler, but I haven't seen him using it. The one farm I have seen using turning plows regularly is a dedicated onion farm, that has incredibly black soil. They use serious cover crops/green manure to keep their soil that rich, and turn it under in spring with a turning plow - I think a 6 or 7 moldboard plow pulled by a tractor in the 100hp range.

 

[Jim-Satoh]

Many guys have different opinions about gardening, but a lot of it has too do with where you live and type of soil. I discoverd in real loose soil with a lot of compost, small amounts of top soil and clay you are in for a rough time. What I mean is that you plow or till down so deep that the soil can not hold the root systems of top heavy plants, like tomatoes, corn, squash and others.
Its good to plow, disc and find out what your garden space is at first starting out, like breaking new ground, clearing out large rocks that will damage equipment. Once my garden spot is established, I use the Buck with a 4' Befco roto-tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of about 3-4 inches and it also makes a bed 4' wide.
The bottom ground is hard enough to support the plants. I till my garden all year spring, summer during the growing cycles and fall as I prepare it for the next season, adding leaves and other compost.
I guess the fool proof way to determine the soil condition is to dig down and pick-up a hand full of dirt and ball it up in your hand. Drop or release it and watch what it does. If the ball hits the ground you are fine, if it is fine powdery soil and not compact, than you have what I mentioned above---TROUBLE---Too much organic compost--Yup its good, but you can over do it also.

Things like manures and things--it is best to place them in a barrel in the hot-hot sun or on a plastic tarp and cover it with a tarp. This kills grass seeds / fungus. A clear plastic tarp or cover will solarize the soil also and kill grass, bad fungus. Use a premium grade fertilizer with calcium.---I am not an expert, but some things I learned the hard way.

I think I have talked myself out of selling my Farmall Cub with all of the plows, to cultivate between the rows. Guys do I need both tractors--my wife said no---Need some advice at the end.----Thanks guys--sorry for the long post----Jim