Flint rocks

[cowboy43]

I am in central TX. And my soil has a lot of flint rock, mixed in shallow sandy loam, and red clay. The rocks are marble size to softball size. When you chisel it brings the rocks to the top.I have put the land in Bermuda , the soil has gotten tight , the rocks have now worked back into the soil, I have been thinking of a way to loosen the soil but I know any type of plowing would bring the rocks back to the top. Anyone else have such a situation and how o you deal with it, I would like to plant a cover crop in the winter like ryegrass or clover, but I do not want to bring the rock back to the top. Any ideas!!

 

[bird dog]

No till drill a big rooted plant like turnips or peas??? No experience, just an idea t loosen the soil.

 

[rnh2]

No till drill a big rooted plant like turnips or peas??? No experience, just an idea t loosen the soil.

There's a cover crop group on Facebook that has information on what you are saying. They have varieties that are for loosening the soil

 

[Ebenezer]

Look up tillage radishes for an internet search. They are all daikon radishes and a guy told me that the names are just company names and the breeding programs are not really making different types. So pricing is a thing to watch unless you find research to prove differently. They can be grazed and the only word of warning is if you do not graze and the mass dies in the spring it really has a strong odor when all is decaying.

 

[hurleyjd]

No till drill a big rooted plant like turnips or peas??? No experience, just an idea t loosen the soil.

I talked to a man that had planted the deep rooted radishes to loosen his soil. He said that they did not penetrate the soil but only grow up and fell over. Most of the root on top of the ground.

 

[hurleyjd]

I am in central TX. And my soil has a lot of flint rock, mixed in shallow sandy loam, and red clay. The rocks are marble size to softball size. When you chisel it brings the rocks to the top.I have put the land in Bermuda , the soil has gotten tight , the rocks have now worked back into the soil, I have been thinking of a way to loosen the soil but I know any type of plowing would bring the rocks back to the top. Anyone else have such a situation and how o you deal with it, I would like to plant a cover crop in the winter like ryegrass or clover, but I do not want to bring the rock back to the top. Any ideas!!

Elbon rye and crimson clover I would think might be okay. elbon rye has a large root system that grows deep. When it dies in the early summer the roots rot and leaves little channels for water to penetrate. you do not need to distrub the ground very much. An old single disk grain drill will do the job. Set the drill to get the best penetration and drag a harrow behind it.

 

[bird dog]

I was talking to the NRCS man about the decline in the quality my hay field and I mentioned that it was always to damp in the winter to till it. He was the one that suggested planting some peas. He actually though a mix of forage peas, sudan, and sun hemp would do well to loosen the soil, provide hay, and fix some nitrogen. He recommended planting right into the sod. I may do some of it this year as a test.