Re: Best plow for clay?

Posted by Steve - IN on March 15, 2003 at 23:31:13 from (12.222.31.186):

In Reply to: Best plow for clay? posted by Farming 101 on March 15, 2003 at 19:40:25:

Farming -
From an Indiana farm boy -- where we always have plenty of thick clay to deal with.

We plowed with moldbold plows and then cut up the big clods with disc harrows until the soil was fairly fine and even -- something that looked like a little seed could push it aside.

Disc plows weren't used much around here, I thought they were for the Plains states where the soil was lighter and easier to work, and where mostly grasses, like wheat, were grown. Spike harrows are something you use to make a riding arena or horse race track look nice and pretty. Don't do much to break up big clods of clay.

My guess is you need a disc harrow to slice through and break up those clods of clay. It's always worked here in Indiana.

As for the one pass on the disc plow -- my memory is those things were always called "one way" plows. Maybe that's what you're seeing. I think they were even blamed for the dust bowl in the 30's. In general, I think they were intended for lighter soils and wheat farming.

Anyway, sounds like you have soil like ours, and for that, the moldboard and disc harrow work - but aren't favored by the no-til guys anymore. Of course, they have a lot more tractor horsepower at their disposal than we ever did -- or I do now with my old machines.

Until somebody with expertise about what works farther west comes along -- that's what works here in our clay soil.

Steve

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