| Disc Harrow Improvement? |
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By:
Ambush
Date:19-Apr-17
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So I have about a 1 1/2 acre plot that snakes along a ravine. For tilling I revamped an old drag disc, basicly using half of a big set. In about half the plot the clover is so thick that I can't cut through it anymore to till for something else.
My question is, should I just cut notches into the blades, with a plasma cutter, to make it cut better. Most of the modern set ups seem to be notched.
I'm also repurposing a three foot rototiller from a large garden tractor. I'll convert it from three point, PTO driven to an ATV pull behind with its own power. So the disc may not have to work as hard anyway.
Worthwhile to notch the old disc set?
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By:
t-roy
Date:19-Apr-17
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I would think it would help some. Another thing that helps with discs is weaving back & forth as you go. It causes the disc to cut into the soil better when you are turning in one direction, not so much the other way. You will probably have to go over the plot multiple times.
Can you change the angle of the disc a little more by realigning the tongue a little bit?
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By:
Ambush
Date:20-Apr-17
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It is angled quite a bit now, but I can angle it more just by moving two bolts. Sometimes I just run in circles because it does cut better one way than the other, for sure. I pile up to four hundred pounds of old grader blade on it to.
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By:
test1
Date:20-Apr-17
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Burn the plot down with glyfo, wait two months, and a couple days after a rain it should break up. You don't have enough ground pressure on your disks. Notched blades probably won't help.
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By:
Grubby
Date:20-Apr-17
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Notched blades did wonders on my three point disc, I would sure think they would help on yours. Getting rid of as much plant material as possibly would help greatly.
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By:
Teeton
Date:20-Apr-17
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First thing I thought was they need to be angled more, after reading down I see that you have covered that. Also as stated above with a lite disc you will need to burn down your area that want to disc.. When the roots are dead it make it a lot easier to disc. I don't think you would need to wait 2 month before discing, I'd give it a shot after 3 weeks. As for putting notches in your disc that sure would help. But be careful how big you cut into them, as your only pulling with an atv. I would not go anymore than an inch. You can always cut them bigger, but you can't go smaller once cut. Too big will also weaken the disc's some. Not should on how many notches you should cut.. Maybe someone else here can give you a recommendation on how many to cut into each disc, as I've always had a tractor putted disc... Ed
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By:
t-roy
Date:20-Apr-17
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Clover can sometimes be a bitch to kill, even with R-up. You could spray it with 2,4-D to get rid of it. I would have to disagree with test1 on not enough weight on your disc. 400lbs plus the weight of the disc itself should be plenty. In fact, I'll bet it puts a strain on your atv.
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By:
Habitat1
Date:20-Apr-17
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In the picture there doesn't look to be alot of residue.You don't have to have a super deep seed bed to grow food plots,Maybe plant turnips or something to break up soil.I bet you can mow the clover real short or spray and kill.Most guys are begging to get a thick clover plot
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By:
Ambush
Date:20-Apr-17
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Habitat1.. that pic is just to show the disc and is one of several joined mini-plots. Where the thick clover is now, I planted a New Zealand brassica mix, which came up wonderfully with turnips, beets, radishes and others. But then (as advertised) the clover came on very thick. Last year I actually "mowed" it with the disc. Looked sick for a week then sprang back to life in fine form. The deer that use the plot are bush mule deer. Cale, turnips, beets and radishes seem to be a favourite for late season and get enough snow cover that they stay green for most of the winter. The deer just paw down to get the greens, then dig out and eat the bulbs.
The clover is good, but unfortunately is also a favourite of bears. When you have a half a dozen lounging around, they go from being just bears to friggin bears real fast.
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By:
t-roy
Date:20-Apr-17
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Don't the bears bother your brassicas, Rod?
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By:
buckhammer
Date:20-Apr-17
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I don't see notches helping that much. Not enough angle on the disk and it is too lite.
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By:
Ambush
Date:20-Apr-17
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No the bears seem to be pretty luke warm on most of the greens. Doesn't mean they won't develop a taste over time. Sometimes the clover looks like it was run over by a packer from the lazy buggers rolling to their next mouthful
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By:
r-man
Date:21-Apr-17
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my disc has a row of notched and standard , I put the notched ones up front then in the back . not sure whch worked better . The disc pitch and angle is the most impotent while using a low power toe vehicle . And spraying it with GLY two weeks or more before helps to . I had my latest start this yr waiting for the right weather . Got it done last week and cons up already , took it 3days to pop . 90deg 3 days in a row helped . beans started popping up thur. I have had no rain for 3 weeks . I planted deep.
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By:
Ambush
Date:22-Apr-17
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I took a walk through the plot yesterday, changed cams cards, refreshed the moose lick and put out salt blocks for the deer. One bear hanging around already.
The ground is wet and we will still have some frost for a few weeks yet. Little bits of green are just showing, but the clover is lying dead and flat to the ground right now. Would it be a good time to disc it over if I can pull it through the wet dirt? I'm going to plant an early crop in one area and then kale, turnip, beet, radish mix sometime in July. I'd actually like to find a good alfalfa for three little "bowl" plots to.
