Best way ?

[bball]

Last 30 acres of woods was cleared off very late this fall. Flat ground.
Want to plant this April, but there is A LOT of debris (sticks, branches, occasional root pieces) left after the dozers left. They deep disced the whole field hoping to push it down but didn't work real well. Last time, the kids and i went through about 20 acres and picked by hand, but thats not really an option this year and this field is worse then the other by far.
I have an 8ft york rake I could attempt to pull the debris into rows with, but I swore I read on here where someone said that didn't work real well? I am open to suggestions.
My goal is to get it cleaned up, compacted, and hopefully drill in the seed in April. Ground still frozen here for now. Also considered aerial seeding but not sure how effective it would be.

 

[Caustic Burno]

B-ball we use what some call a root rake around here after the loggers have left. Pull all the roots and debris in piles and burn.
Got one hooked up to the tractor right now. Try to get a pic later I started in this yaupon thicket making this food plot for this spring still got a ways to go. All are homemade contraptions.

 

[Nesikep]

even just an S tine harrow will collect a lot of it.. Consider seeding a cover crop of sorts and doing the real reseeding next year when things are a little digested.. could broadcast seed oats or something.. could put clover as well, but would need a second pass with the seeder.. broadcast seeding is fast and cheap

 

[Bright Raven]

If it is only pasture. I would not worry about debris. It will be gone in 2 years. I assume they graded or the disc leveled it out. I left a lot of debris behind. Grass grows better in debris. After you rotary mow it a couple times, you will never know it was there.

 

[bball]

B-ball we use what some call a root rake around here after the loggers have left. Pull all the roots and debris in piles and burn.
Got one hooked up to the tractor right now. Try to get a pic later I started in this yaupon thicket making this food plot for this spring still got a ways to go. All are homemade contraptions.

Thanks CB
Will look forward to the pic of it.

 

[bball]

even just an S tine harrow will collect a lot of it.. Consider seeding a cover crop of sorts and doing the real reseeding next year when things are a little digested.. could broadcast seed oats or something.. could put clover as well, but would need a second pass with the seeder.. broadcast seeding is fast and cheap

Just broadcast oats, then cultipack after broadcasting.? Maybe some rye grass? I definitely want to stay ahead of the weeds.

 

[M-5]

If you want to utilize it this summer I would use crabgrass with what ever native grass you plant . pick up the large stuff the rest will leave on its own in time.

 

[bball]

If it is only pasture. I would not worry about debris. It will be gone in 2 years. I assume they graded or the disc leveled it out. I left a lot of debris behind. Grass grows better in debris. After you rotary mow it a couple times, you will never know it was there.

This field will be exclusively pasture. It is level. Maybe just grab the real big chunks. How did you plant yours to get it to come up well without drilling? I do not want to spend a chunk of money on good pasture mix seed, and not have it take. The mix i used on the fields over the last few years established well with drilling; where broadcasted, didnt take near as well.

 

[bball]

If you want to utilize it this summer I would use crabgrass with what ever native grass you plant . pick up the large stuff the rest will leave on its own in time.

I have used crabgrass with the sandier ground. Here's the problem dash, crabgrass wont get started growing until June at the earliest here, the weeds will be a foot tall by then. I will add some crabgrass in the mix if i sling oats or rye.

 

[Caustic Burno]

 

[M-5]

that is just a modern joe harrow

 

[Bright Raven]

If it is only pasture. I would not worry about debris. It will be gone in 2 years. I assume they graded or the disc leveled it out. I left a lot of debris behind. Grass grows better in debris. After you rotary mow it a couple times, you will never know it was there.

How did you plant yours to get it to come up well without drilling? I do not want to spend a chunk of money on good pasture mix seed, and not have it take.

Brad. This is IMPORTANT. If you broadcast seed like Bigbluegrass and I did, you must get the seed "in contact with the ground". Lots of ways. I tracked mine in with a dozer - my dozer had LGP tracks - Low Ground Pressure. I got remarkable germination. Otherwise, at least chain drag it or something comparable to either cover the seed or push it down.

 

[Nesikep]

fall rye would definitely be something that comes up FAST, and ahead of the weeds, and it doesn't need to be buried deep at all, contact with the ground is about all it needs... broadcast, maybe drag a light harrow if you can do it without clogging up with garbage, otherwise just a good heavy rolling will do it, turn the cows onto it when it's 18" high or so.. You could probably sow your crabgrass in with it and that'll come up in its own time...
What is your water situation like? that's a big one that'll change the management

 

[bball]

fall rye would definitely be something that comes up FAST, and ahead of the weeds, and it doesn't need to be buried deep at all, contact with the ground is about all it needs... broadcast, maybe drag a light harrow if you can do it without clogging up with garbage, otherwise just a good heavy rolling will do it, turn the cows onto it when it's 18" high or so.. You could probably sow your crabgrass in with it and that'll come up in its own time...
What is your water situation like? that's a big one that'll change the management

Water for the cows or irrigation? No irrigation, just natures mercy. Plenty of water for the cows- small tank and I can blow a well in anywhere and have water access.
Harrowing might be tough with the amount of trash. I have a 12 ft cultipacker, may weight it down and just roll in some rye or oats with clover, crabgrass and ky 31. Thoughts anyone

 

[M-5]

If it were mine and i wanted to have it clean with the least amount of effort I would broadcast a cover crop of your choice for your area along with crabgrass for summer production. late summer disk and plant a winter crop that will survive your area . then the following spring come in a turn with a bottom plow disk level and pack with seed. most of your debris in ground will be mostly gone and the debris on top would be turned under. The process can take several years to make it pristine level ,

 

[Nesikep]

If it were mine and i wanted to have it clean with the least amount of effort I would broadcast a cover crop of your choice for your area along with crabgrass for summer production. late summer disk and plant a winter crop that will survive your area . then the following spring come in a turn with a bottom plow disk level and pack with seed. most of your debris in ground will be mostly gone and the debris on top would be turned under. The process can take several years to make it pristine level ,

the fall rye might be better for an overwinter crop in fact.. ain't no weed going to beat it in the spring!

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

I used a landscape rake behind my tractor. But I removed every other time to allow the dirt to flow through, otherwise you windrow a lot of dirt with the debris. Another option would be to hire someone with a moldboard plow to turn the trash under.

 

[bball]

Wanted to update on a recent idea. I spoke with one of the local excavating gurus to pick his brain. He is allowing me to use a chisel plow that he has set up exactly for cleaning up the small trash(when he isn't using his root rake). Basically, he moved all the chisel to the back row and spaced them approximately 6-8" apart. It's a 3 pt, 12ft wide. He says to just drag it very shallow across the top of the soil and it will grab a great deal of the trash. When it is full just raise the 3 pt to leave a pile that you can burn where it is or come back and scoop up with your FEL. I will be picking it up soon and let you know how it works, but he claims it's a homerun if you don't have a dozer with a rootrake.

 

[ddd75]

i just pull everything with my scraper blade to the end of the field that my root rake won't pick up.

 

[bball]

i just pull everything with my scraper blade to the end of the field that my root rake won't pick up.

Triple D, do you get a lot of soil with the scraper blade also?