Last year we decided to not tear up the ground like crazy with the 2 bottom plow and instead just ran the disc numerous times throughout the summer and then planted late July. Plots came out great but I feel like we worked a lot harder then we did smarter which I don't like to do. We fought the weeds a little but not a lot and I would say we ran the disc a good 4-5 times leading up to planting time (every 3-4 weeks) and that was just right to keep weeds minimal but again felt like redundant work. Do you guys wait until right before you plant to tear it up? Do you spray just once and then disc? Our ground is well worked and about 4-6 acres total of plots.
Really?? No one here has well worked established plots?? I thought this forum would be jumping this time of year.
I don't till or plow after the first year a plot is established. I rake the leaves off and frost seed, if I miss that window I rake sow seed and use the lawn roller to get seed contact. My plots are usually clover and alfalfa.
If I'm establishing a new plot, I prefer to turn the ground in the fall. Less weed competition, cooler temps, and usually good rainfall in my area....I've had great luck planting clover & alfalfa plots in the fall. The only thing I really plant in spring is beans
I don't typically even till new plots anymore, I no-till everything unless a new plot is damn rough. I burn down everything with chemical and a pre-emergant for whatever crop I'm planting.
I turn the soil if its a new plot. For our established areas I spray them once then use our reverse tine tiller to work the soil. The way your doing it you could probably just spray the plot kill every thing then about a week later come in and disc it all up in one day then plant. If your disc doesn't really do the job it may be to light or you need to adjust your gangs if possible.
I've been doing plots for over 10 years now and have learned a lot along the way. I used to plow first and then disc the hell out the ground. Most recently though I've learned that it's not necessary and also not great for the soil to do this. Keep in mind, I'm typically planting brassicas or in the past clover/chicory, small seed types, I'm not familiar with other seed types. When I came to the midwest I realized that full plowing and even excessive discing isn't necessary at all. Hell, the farmers out here won't even disc up last years beans, they just drill corn into the leftover bean stubble and it grows like crazy. They do this because not plowing or discing prevents erosion and also helps the soil keep moisture, not to mention time/cost savings of not having to plow or disc. It also prevents invasive seed types from taking root when you don't have a huge exposed seed bed. Last year I planted a roughly 2/3 acre plot in a chin high goldenrod field. I first sprayed it with gly about first week of July. Let it die off for roughly 3 weeks. Then I went and lightly disced up (think half an hour on my ATV), leaving the dead chopped up golden rod laying over the top of the soil as cover to help retain moisture (think straw on a freshly seeded lawn). I then seeded and put down 100lbs of fertilizer the same day I disced things up. Then I dragged it with a homemade chainlink drag that same day as well. Three weeks later I went back out and top dressed with another 100lbs of fertilizer. The video below was taken roughly 5 weeks after seed. Not a single invasive weed in the plot, it was the healthiest brassica plot I've ever done. I'll be doing all of my plots like this moving forward I believe, it's less work and they turn out awesome. [video]https://youtu.be/B9UrPqvy20k[/video]
We are going to try and use a 1 bottom plow to break sod, but on the rest of our plots we use a tiller then drag seed in Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Two bottom if heavy undisturbed sod for first tillage/starting the plot. After that, it's frost seeding, broadcasting into standing, or shallow tillage (tiller set very shallow). I want to try CNC's throw and mow method on one plot this year as well. Minimal tillage is definitely the way to go all around in most situations. Look up "Ray the Soil Guy" on Youtube. He has some short and to the point videos showing the effects of prolonged conventional tillage on soil.
I have a number of routines because i am a researcher and instead of always using the fancy equipment, i sometimes test products using less than ideal methods. That being said, here is what i typically do. I practice plot rotation and have the ground covered as many months a year as possible. On bare ground, i frost seeded a mix of clovers as well as a kill plot type mix on various plots. I did this to get ahead of the weed and to do no til, as these are more challenges areas and i didn't want to bring up any weed seed. As a result i have clovers that are out of the ground and off to a good start. On the ground that has winter triticale and winter rye, i will burn them down, and roll it. This creates a weed deterent matt. Those areas i will work up before planting and put in my 4 bean mix. On the ground that was corn, i disked it, broadcast seeded a perennial mix and then rolled it. On the ground that has brassicas, i lightly disked, and i broadcast seeded and rolled a builder mix that contains 2 annual clovers and buckwheat. I do this so i can go brassica on brassica and on 1 demonstration plot, i have put brassicas on there for 7 years and that is how i can accomplish that. I think will lightly til that in mid June and plant various mixes in those areas. I always burn one week and til and plant the next week. Planting right after tilling it to capture the soil moisture.
