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Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Plow?

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Deck78

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Oct 7, 2010
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Location
hipster hollow
So we have clear cut some ridge tops on our farm in Hickman and now we need to turn the soil. We are buying a disc for our 55 hp tractor but I also remember hearing the merits of a chisel plow. Any recommendations or thoughts??

Thanks!
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

Depends
Many of those soils are pretty shallow. The more you turn the more rocks and roots you will find. Disk it for a few years and let the roots breakdown. Keep it simple. Your not going to feed an army. Just create a place that makes you happy to sit on and hunt. Forest management will feed your deer herd all they need if you manage it.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

Depending on the soil, a ridge-top food plot can destroy a disk in short order (I know, I've destroyed several). A chisel plow is the way to go the first time, and then never turn the ground again. Just use mow-spray-broadcast seeding techniques (or a drill) in the future. You do not want to expose bare ground on dry ridge-tops during the summer. They soil will dry out severely.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

Good intel! I was thinking there were several past discussions on the merit of a chisel plow vs the disc. We are mainly doing the plots for fun as dad wanted to have something to keep him busy in retirement. Plenty of oaks up on top for proper food source so just trying to figure out how to set dad up for having fun!
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

Deck, I have several similar places and here's what I did. I weedeated the big stuff- vines, briars etc. then took a backpack blower and got rid of the duff. I cleared all the big rocks. I took a 4f x 4f harrow drag and went over, over, cleared rocks, over and over again with an ate, even though I could get a tractor there. It pulverized the dirt, and the harrow was light enough to skip over the hard spots. I tore nothing up, and had a beautiful poor man's plot. Something to try.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

I would offer my opinion, but my bush hog is busted, My three point lift wont raise, my huge disc harrow is in pieces and my single bottom plow is bent. I evidently suck really bad at this stuff.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

What do you want to plant? Unless it's beans or something you are wanting to absolutely maximize yield you probably do t need to turn it at all. If you're just wanting clover, wheat, oats, cereal rye, etc, there is no need.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

Pull type harrows work great with ATVs. You will destroy a drill just as fast as a disc.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

I like the idea of the harrow. We have a RTV and a tractor so that would work for dad and he's just wanted to plant stuff that turns green so he can enjoy the experience so probably wheat and clover etc.

Thanks ya'll for all the great info!
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

Just a couple more things when you sow seed onto minimally prepared soil:

1) Birds can eat up all your seed before it germinates if it lies there very long before germination.
Sometimes, they can get most of it the next day.

2) Try to plant immediately before (even during) a light rain. You want that seed to germinate asap after it hits the ground.

You should cover most of your seed, but it will be so shallow that a flock of turkeys can still find & eat much of it (particularly seed such as wheat) in just a single visit, although they'll likely "camp out" in your plot until most of the seed has been eaten.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

smalljawbasser":lglq59s1 said:
What do you want to plant? Unless it's beans or something you are wanting to absolutely maximize yield you probably do t need to turn it at all.
Click to expand...

If an area has NEVER been broken, it really does help to break it deep at least ONCE. Now that doesn't mean you can't get clover and wheat to grow on unbroken ground--you can--but you will get much better growth if the ground has been turned down 6-8 inches at least once.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

The chisel plow will open up the ground deep enough that it will hold water where now its just running off. It will pull up the roots and rocks so you can go behind and pick up all the trash with the 4 wheeler. It will not turn the top soil under which you need unless you have the large points. Buy a good heavy bog disk or some call a disc plow and that will go deep enough for all your food plots and not loose you topsoil which you don't have a lot of. The bog disk used is around 400 dollars or less. My 50 hp tractor pulls a 7 point chisel plow fairly easy after the first time. I use the chisel plow every 2 or 3 years to keep the soil from compacting . One thing is the first time go slow real slow if not you might end up in front of the tractor. This worked for me. The plot I done was a lot like yours. This was the info I got from the local farmers and its helped my plots.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

To naturally break up the soil, try planting turnips this fall. They will grow on a friggin rock and will aerate the soil rather well.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

WDS":2puvi5y1 said:
To naturally break up the soil, try planting turnips this fall. They will grow on a friggin rock and will aerate the soil rather well.
Click to expand...

Good to see you WDS. I need to put turnips on my ridgetop plots this year. I have used them in the bottoms but not the tops. Good idea.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

I have a chisel plow and a bog. I prefer a bog for new ground myself.
 
Re: Ridge Top Plot Work....Best Tractor Implement..Chisel Pl

Planking":bb53icv1 said:
I have a chisel plow and a bog. I prefer a bog for new ground myself.
Click to expand...

The chisel plow just gets a little deeper, and does a better job on rocks and roots than the bog disk. Although the bog disk is usually easier to pull the first time.
 

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