Disc harrow?

[Angry Perch]

I've got a couple acre field in Sequim. I'd like to start putting in some winter cover crops o improve soil, as well as some food for deer, quail etc. I have a Mahindra Max26 tractor. Is a disc harrow the implement I want? Any other recommendations? I current just have a box blade.

[KFhunter]

Depends on the soil, if it rock hard and never been worked itll just bounce across the top and youll just get small clumps of sod

They aren't for breaking new ground, they're for smoothing already broke ground

[Sandberm]

Would this work with your tractor? Or something similar? https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-medium-duty-disc-2128260?cm_mmc=feed-_-GoogleShopping-_-Product-_-2128260&gclid=CjwKCAjwn8SLBhAyEiwAHNTJbXCIfORoxP8vUyvopNRFJcEpFvfxpOW9RadfmKyVjtAX3qa3tIXXpBoCNKcQAvD_BwE

Try it and if the ground is too hard place some tractor weights(anything heavy that you can secure evenly) on either side of it to help push it in the ground. Youd have to calculate what your 3 point can lift.

If the grounds rock hard because its dry you will need ample moisture from irrigation or mother nature to soften it up.

[Special T]

Sometimes you can rent implements cheap if you have a tractor

[Ridgeratt]

Just a thought you need to size the equipment to the tractor. You maybe disappointed with the depth your trying to get pulling a disc. You might not have enough grunt to drag a large disc.   

And the angle you have the disks set to.

[huntingfool7]

For breaking fresh ground a plow is hard to beat. 
https://media.tractorsupply.com/is/image/TractorSupplyCompany/2128058?$470$

[Woodchuck]

Just a thought you need to size the equipment to the tractor. You maybe disappointed with the depth your trying to get pulling a disc. You might not have enough grunt to drag a large disc.   

A disc is huge drag.

[Angry Perch]

Virtually no rocks at all, and soil is very sandy. I was thinking 6" at the widest.

[Angry Perch]

Would this work with your tractor? Or something similar? https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-medium-duty-disc-2128260?cm_mmc=feed-_-GoogleShopping-_-Product-_-2128260&gclid=CjwKCAjwn8SLBhAyEiwAHNTJbXCIfORoxP8vUyvopNRFJcEpFvfxpOW9RadfmKyVjtAX3qa3tIXXpBoCNKcQAvD_BwE

Try it and if the ground is too hard place some tractor weights(anything heavy that you can secure evenly) on either side of it to help push it in the ground. Youd have to calculate what your 3 point can lift.

If the grounds rock hard because its dry you will need ample moisture from irrigation or mother nature to soften it up.

That's pretty much what I was looking at.

[Angry Perch]

Just to give an idea of the dirt I'm working with, the driveway and excavation for the shop were done with a box blade on the same tractor.

[Mark Brenckle]

I used my '48 8N with a 4' drag disk and it worked fine, even with a couple railroad ties on top. Make sure you get one with adjustable pitch so that you can make a few passes to turn everything and then adjust and smooth it all out.
 The only thing I didn't like was the disk was narrower than my rear tires, so I would be packing down the areas I had already disked. Not an issue if you're just turning the soil for planting though.

[Sandberm]

Eh, I shouldn't even be posting in this thread. Your dark mountain soil doesnt even compare to the sand in the basin.

I do know one thing, I've royally messed up a field of grass by not working it in correctly. Chunks of sod, rough as all get out. Multiple passes to get it even close to smooth.

When we wanted to plant Alfalfa after timothy we would water the timothy so the ground was soft then rip it as deep as possible. Then make 2 passes with a rotovator. The rotovator made a really nice seedbed.

[Angry Perch]

Eh, I shouldn't even be posting in this thread. Your dark mountain soil doesnt even compare to the sand in the basin.

I do know one thing, I've royally messed up a field of grass by not working it in correctly. Chunks of sod, rough as all get out. Multiple passes to get it even close to smooth.

When we wanted to plant Alfalfa after timothy we would water the timothy so the ground was soft then rip it as deep as possible. Then make 2 passes with a rotovator. The rotovator made a really nice seedbed.

There's about 4-6 inches of that, then pretty much sand. It was also wet.

I suppose I could drop the rippers on my box blade down low to rip through the sod if necessary.

[jrebel]

The answer is YES, NO and MAYBE......

A disc harrow is great and will work for you application but may not be needed.  You may look into a cultipacker instead and try a no till method.  Mow, spray, cultipack and broadcast seed may be the answer and may be easier.  Breaking down / up the soil is not always the best way to go as it breaks up the soil nutrients and will then require replenishment with fertilizers ect.

There are some great videos on you tube about this.  I have a disc and I started from raw, never worked land.  The disc worked great, it just took some time....OK, lots of time.  My first couple years I had great productions and growth with my food plots.  This year the growth was not as great....could be because the deer keep it mowed  but could also be because I need to add some fertilizer due to breaking down the soil for the last 4 years. 

Very first thing I would do is get a soil test, then I would go with a mow and spray what you have to kill it.  Then I would cultipack it and broadcast a good cover crop for you area.  I bet you will be plenty surprised with the results!!

Here is a pretty good video. 

[Angry Perch]

The answer is YES, NO and MAYBE......

A disc harrow is great and will work for you application but may not be needed.  You may look into a cultipacker instead and try a no till method.  Mow, spray, cultipack and broadcast seed may be the answer and may be easier.  Breaking down / up the soil is not always the best way to go as it breaks up the soil nutrients and will then require replenishment with fertilizers ect.

There are some great videos on you tube about this.  I have a disc and I started from raw, never worked land.  The disc worked great, it just took some time....OK, lots of time.  My first couple years I had great productions and growth with my food plots.  This year the growth was not as great....could be because the deer keep it mowed  but could also be because I need to add some fertilizer due to breaking down the soil for the last 4 years. 

Very first thing I would do is get a soil test, then I would go with a mow and spray what you have to kill it.  Then I would cultipack it and broadcast a good cover crop for you area.  I bet you will be plenty surprised with the results!!

Here is a pretty good video. 

Great info JRebel. I've done some initial looking into no till. It's pretty interesting. As for the disc taking lot's of time? The tractor has a beer holder, so I'm good to go!!

[Bareback]

You’re opening a can of worms you may regret. Aside from all the implements you will need, it’s going to be a lot of work for a 26hp tractor. I just finished a 5 acre project that took three years using a 30 hp tractor. The smaller tractors have a hard time cutting the ground do to size. It’s also tough to move dirt in volume with the small tractors, it needs to be pretty dry.

I’d start by rolling the sod over (this fall). Next summer it should be decomposed enough so as it’s not to clumpy. When the soil is dry enough you can start moving dirt. I used a 6 ft box scraper. On the back of it I welded a receiver so I could put a ball on it for towing.  I ended up making a lawn roller out of a 300 gallon propane tank (2700 lbs when filled with water). When I would scrape I would roll at the same time. It did two things, compact soil and push rocks in the ground. After moving dirt I would drag it to smooth it out. I ended up making a six foot wide drag out of some large I beam.  I rolled it after that too.

Don’t have to much fun.

[Angry Perch]

You’re opening a can of worms you may regret. Aside from all the implements you will need, it’s going to be a lot of work for a 26hp tractor. I just finished a 5 acre project that took three years using a 30 hp tractor. The smaller tractors have a hard time cutting the ground do to size. It’s also tough to move dirt in volume with the small tractors, it needs to be pretty dry.

I’d start by rolling the sod over (this fall). Next summer it should be decomposed enough so as it’s not to clumpy. When the soil is dry enough you can start moving dirt. I used a 6 ft box scraper. On the back of it I welded a receiver so I could put a ball on it for towing.  I ended up making a lawn roller out of a 300 gallon propane tank (2700 lbs when filled with water). When I would scrape I would roll at the same time. It did two things, compact soil and push rocks in the ground. After moving dirt I would drag it to smooth it out. I ended up making a six foot wide drag out of some large I beam.  I rolled it after that too.

Don’t have to much fun.

So you're saying I need lots of tools and a new tractor?
God I love this forum!!! 

Also, to clarify, I don't intend to cultivate the entire field. For now I want to focus on the edges where the field meets the wind break on the west side, and a wild rose and service berry thicket on the north end.

[NRA4LIFE]

A couple racks of High Life and you're good to go.

[Angry Perch]

A couple racks of High Life and you're good to go.

We clearly speak the same language.

[KFhunter]

I like to turn sod in the fall  (plow) then disk in the spring. 


let winter work for you

[jrebel]

I like to turn sod in the fall  (plow) then disk in the spring. 


let winter work for you

 

Also….don’t over think it!!  It really isn’t that hard and it becomes a labor of love. 

[Ridgeratt]

I like to turn sod in the fall  (plow) then disk in the spring. 


let winter work for you

 

Also….don’t over think it!!  It really isn’t that hard and it becomes a labor of love.

Ah a little diesel therapy as my wife calls it.

[Angry Perch]

I like to turn sod in the fall  (plow) then disk in the spring. 


let winter work for you

I plan to grow winter cover crops like vetch, rye, etc.

[Hillbilly Zen]

After breaking acres of new ground in Central Texas with 40-50hp equipment I can say without reservation that if I had to break new ground again I would hire it out and save the beating on my tractor and my body for the day to day work and maintenance.  At the very least I would rent a beast of a machine and save days of bouncing around and running over the same rows repeatedly because the tractor was undersized for the soil and scope of work!  But I am many years over the idea of “seat time” as somehow recreational.  My recommendation from one internet stranger to another is find a farmer with a 100hp machine just depreciating in a field and hire that farmer to cut your ground! 

[Angry Perch]

After breaking acres of new ground in Central Texas with 40-50hp equipment I can say without reservation that if I had to break new ground again I would hire it out and save the beating on my tractor and my body for the day to day work and maintenance.  At the very least I would rent a beast of a machine and save days of bouncing around and running over the same rows repeatedly because the tractor was undersized for the soil and scope of work!  But I am many years over the idea of “seat time” as somehow recreational.  My recommendation from one internet stranger to another is find a farmer with a 100hp machine just depreciating in a field and hire that farmer to cut your ground!

That's a different angle. I like it.

[KFhunter]

You’re opening a can of worms you may regret. Aside from all the implements you will need, it’s going to be a lot of work for a 26hp tractor. I just finished a 5 acre project that took three years using a 30 hp tractor. The smaller tractors have a hard time cutting the ground do to size. It’s also tough to move dirt in volume with the small tractors, it needs to be pretty dry.

I’d start by rolling the sod over (this fall). Next summer it should be decomposed enough so as it’s not to clumpy. When the soil is dry enough you can start moving dirt. I used a 6 ft box scraper. On the back of it I welded a receiver so I could put a ball on it for towing.  I ended up making a lawn roller out of a 300 gallon propane tank (2700 lbs when filled with water). When I would scrape I would roll at the same time. It did two things, compact soil and push rocks in the ground. After moving dirt I would drag it to smooth it out. I ended up making a six foot wide drag out of some large I beam.  I rolled it after that too.

Don’t have to much fun.

I did 80+ ac with a Kubota L305DT

lotta hours on that little tractor, 30 engine hp about 28 pto

[KFhunter]

I like to turn sod in the fall  (plow) then disk in the spring. 


let winter work for you

I plan to grow winter cover crops like vetch, rye, etc.

If you want to grow this winter ouch!

I was talking about the 1st year, not every year

[Boss .300 winmag]

I like to turn sod in the fall  (plow) then disk in the spring. 


let winter work for you

I plan to grow winter cover crops like vetch, rye, etc.

If you want to grow this winter ouch!

I was talking about the 1st year, not every year

I threw rye grass seed on no tilled dirt last November covering it with straw, it grew quite well.

I just got threw seeding a different area with the same seed a couple weeks ago and have grass that’s 2-3 “ high already not tilled.

West side is different for germination. As long as it doesn’t get really cold here and the grass gets some roots with growth you’ll be fine.

[KFhunter]

If its not a real big plot you can cover it with tarps too

[Angry Perch]

I like to turn sod in the fall  (plow) then disk in the spring. 


let winter work for you

I plan to grow winter cover crops like vetch, rye, etc.

If you want to grow this winter ouch!

I was talking about the 1st year, not every year

I know it's a long game. But that won't keep me from throwing some seeds in the ground.

[KFhunter]

I watched pops seed about 20 acres with a hand seeder, it had a burlap bag and wooden base.  You'd crank the handle and walk. 


It took him a long long time, but he got it done! 


amazing what you can do with so little,  some of my "equipment" is home made

my "culti-packer" is two 55 gallon drums welded end to end with a pipe through the middle, then filled with concrete.   

Someone made it prolly 50 years ago, but it's so dang heavy it'll push sod clumps flat and push rocks down flush so your swather don't eat em 

The frame looks to be off an old model T 

[Sandberm]

I watched pops seed about 20 acres with a hand seeder, it had a burlap bag and wooden base.  You'd crank the handle and walk. 


It took him a long long time, but he got it done! 


amazing what you can do with so little,  some of my "equipment" is home made

my "culti-packer" is two 55 gallon drums welded end to end with a pipe through the middle, then filled with concrete.   

Someone made it prolly 50 years ago, but it's so dang heavy it'll push sod clumps flat and push rocks down flush so your swather don't eat em 

The frame looks to be off an old model T

Respect to your pops

[Ridgeratt]

Farm and equipment auction tomorrow in Spokane that has several implements.

http://www.reinlandauctions.net/10.23.2021-equipment.html

I see a couple of cultipackers.

I had the neighbor come up and drill Winter peas, Rye into my pasture and the local turkies showed up and promptly undrilled them.   

In the vehicle auction you can bid on a corvette.

[KFhunter]

Farm and equipment auction tomorrow in Spokane that has several implements.

http://www.reinlandauctions.net/10.23.2021-equipment.html

I see a couple of cultipackers.

I had the neighbor come up and drill Winter peas, Rye into my pasture and the local turkies showed up and promptly undrilled them.   

In the vehicle auction you can bid on a corvette.

You're old enough to have a Corvette RR

I still need to retire first, and work on my gut more      

You got a long ways to go before you have the proper vette drivin belly