Chisel Plowing to start Renovating Sod ?

[Stocker Steve]

I realize a lot of folks converted to chisel plows 35 years ago but we are not real trendy.
Tried chisel plowing bluegrass sod last fall and quit after 1 round of huge chucks.
Is this just a problem with sod forming grasses, or do most folks make alot more passes?

 

[chippie]

My husband used a subsoiler on two of our pastures. He ripped it and then dragged it with a harrow. He is wishing that he had done it years ago. It really revived them. Both pastures had a like a crust on them and when it would rain, it would run off. Now it goes down into the soil.

 

[Aaron]

Depending what your ground is like, chisel plows can be tops, or the worst. Neighbors do well with them on light ground. But heavy clay will take multiple passes, cutting about an inch at a time. One pass they tried to break about 8" and they snapped the drawbar on the Steiger. On heavy clay, an offset disc requires much fewer passes.

 

[snake67]

I realize a lot of folks converted to chisel plows 35 years ago but we are not real trendy.
Tried chisel plowing bluegrass sod last fall and quit after 1 round of huge chucks.
Is this just a problem with sod forming grasses, or do most folks make alot more passes?

Get the right kind of disc and you will be good to go

Chisel plow for most grasses works up big chuinks and rocks.

Disc cuts things up nice and small

Best to all

Bez

 

[Cabo]

This is the best piece of equipment I have found to renovate sod be it pasture or hay field. http://www.hayking.com/renovator.htm

 

[skyhightree1]

I posted this picture before but thats what it looked like when i chisel plowed a field in january. Cabo I do like that piece of equip but do not have one

 

[SRBeef]

I have found it better to keep whatever sod I have and to use a no till drill to interseed whatever new forages I want to add to the sward. Any sod is better than no sod. Why chisel it at all?

Jim

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have found it better to keep whatever sod I have and to use a no till drill to interseed whatever new forages I want to add to the sward. Any sod is better than no sod. Why chisel it at all? Jim

1) work in lime
2) reduce compaction
3) level
4) include improved varieties that do not establish in sod

 

[Stocker Steve]

Get the right kind of disc and you will be good to go

Chisel plow for most grasses works up big chuinks and rocks.

Disc cuts things up nice and small Bez

I have a 21' Case disk. If you leave the wings up it is a heavy bitch.

I also have a neighbor who used a even heavier Wisik (ND) disk for a while. He said it did a good job of pushing the rocks down, but after a couple years he could not raise a crop due to compaction.

Seems like you need to plow at some point ? Wisik first year and plow second?

 

[Stocker Steve]

I posted this picture before but thats what it looked like when i chisel plowed a field in january. Cabo I do like that piece of equip but do not have one

How many passes before the photo?

 

[highgrit]

Chisel plowing, and a pasture renovator works real good in the south. Here our soil will get so hard and compacted that the water won't soak in, or let the moisture rise up.

 

[hayray]

I have had the same problem Steve whenever I chisled sod. Now I just disk because I bought a real nice Krause disk years ago but a mold board plow would be better then a chisel because of the chunks. Once you get the chunks you never get rid of them for a long time and it makes fitting the field tough.

 

[hayray]

I have found it better to keep whatever sod I have and to use a no till drill to interseed whatever new forages I want to add to the sward. Any sod is better than no sod. Why chisel it at all?

Jim

I am with you on that, the only time I tear up ground is when converting a field to hay but after that I interseed with no till I rent from Conservation District. Getting ready to no-till hear in the next month - trefoil, clovers, orchardgrass.

 

[Floyd]

aerway.com. They are spendy. I have not used one.

 

[skyhightree1]

I posted this picture before but thats what it looked like when i chisel plowed a field in january. Cabo I do like that piece of equip but do not have one

How many passes before the photo?

Just 1 pass when I was doing it my kids missed some spots i went back over but mostly just 1 pass

 

[Brute 23]

Looks good.

The Hay King pasture renovators, subsoilers, Aerways and even disking are all popular around here. You put a renovator to ground around here and it looks like you put out fert. I like the Hay Kings. Disking doesn't always open it as deep as I would like.

 

[skyhightree1]

Thanks. Does anyone ever use a spike aerator on their pastures ?

 

[Banjo]

I have found it better to keep whatever sod I have and to use a no till drill to interseed whatever new forages I want to add to the sward. Any sod is better than no sod. Why chisel it at all?

Jim

Ditto.......rotational grazing will improve pastures more than anything, letting the grass rest and recover.
Whatever you do, it will most likely revert back to what it was before if your not IRG. :2cents: