It has been so dry lately... Better to disc than to plow?

Will Herring · Oct 8, 2011

This is just for our acre garden plot... I was wanting to plow it up real good before winter, but I fear that our lack of rain is going to persist and the ground is really hard. I was thinking about maybe just taking a disc to it to cut out the weeds and level out the holes and the mounds that were left behind from planting, then just plow it in the spring instead.

Thoughts?

gene bender · Oct 8, 2011

there is no reason to not plow in the fall your ground will work so much better in the spring

Anonymous-0 · Oct 8, 2011

Subsoil it, the drier, the better, the subsoiler blade lifts up the soil, and allows the winter rain and snow, to penetrate further, and soften things up.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 8, 2011

Subsoil it, the drier, the better, the subsoiler blade lifts up the soil, and allows the winter rain and snow, to penetrate further, and soften things up.

Will Herring · Oct 8, 2011

Well, unfortunately, my options are pretty limited. I've got a two bottom plow, or a 16' straight disc that you back into to set the cut... I just don't think I can get the plow to do much good for as dry as it is with the old WD.

VicS · Oct 8, 2011

If your plow points aren't worn out it will take the
ground. Now is the time to put on your fertilizer.
like 6-24-24 and Lime. Disk your garden first then
plow it then disk it again. I am going to roto till
my garden. Vic

paul · Oct 8, 2011

Plowing dry dirt wears on the plow more, but it sure shatters up the hard stuff if you can get the plow to penitrate. Some of the best plowing one can do, in fall. Actually a great time to chisel plow, go deep & really rip up the hard pan. But I'm used to clay soils, kinda look for this type of weather to do something different than mud through the soft clay yet again.

Depending on your location, freezing & snow melt will always replentish & mellow the ground over winter.

Again in my clay soil, the best place for a disk is in the grove, waiting for special needs like cutting up stalks or beating down lumps in spring....

If you have sandy soil, then a lot of my experiance doesn't apply.

--->Paul

gordy from Iowa · Oct 8, 2011

Ummm - Ever notice that road builders use a disk to pack the ground?

Ron A Anderson · Oct 8, 2011

We always say a poor job of plowing in the fall is better then the best plowing in the spring. Leave that disc in the grove.

wijim · Oct 9, 2011

They use a disk on road jobs to work and dry out the soil not for compaction. Im not saying they dont do thier share of compacting but thats not what they are used for. excavator jim,

Billy NY · Oct 9, 2011

Hard to say if the disc will do anything,good chance it may ride on top. I would agree with the advice given, but I'm no expert, moldboard plowing is still common around here. I have seen a 5 bottom, that with good shares(that I put on) would not penetrate when it was too dry in the spring, which was kind of odd, but we do get dry ones sometimes.

Late last summer, we had very dry conditions for here, borderline drought, the soil was baby powder dry. I decided to plant some oats for forage, food plots & deer. My 101 2 bottom ford, needed shares, but it did penetrate well enough to work, I had some adjusting to do that probably was the culprit, but it turned sod/weed areas that were not turned since the mid 80's, and it was like baby powder, I could not believe I was making dust with a moldboard plow, I have photos, no time to upload and post though. Soils are loam, little clay, heavy top soils etc. Other areas I have been working, turned the same, the field that the farmer has been planting was real hard though, it would not bite in, maybe the shares would have made it happen, but I will say, it was dry and hard regardless.

It has been so dry lately... Better to disc than to plow?

Will Herring

Well-known Member

gene bender

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Will Herring

Well-known Member

VicS

Well-known Member

paul

Well-known Member

gordy from Iowa

Member

Ron A Anderson

Member

wijim

Member

Billy NY

Well-known Member

Similar threads