How deep to cultivate?

tomstractorsandtoys · Jun 9, 2023

Put the 4 row cultivators on the 2510 today to cultivate corn. We are very dry and our early chemicals did not do a real good and we are topdressing fertilizer and want to incorporate that as well. How deep should you aim to go? I always thought mine made a some big ridges and when I pulled it up on the concrete today and looked it over realized it is set to go about 3 to 3 1/2 inches deep. My manual says 1 to 2 inches. Tried doing an internet search but all I could get was how deep to plant corn. I should have some pics in a few days. Thanks Tom

flying belgian · Jun 9, 2023

Here in So. Mn. we have black gumbo dirt and if wet and you cultivate to deep it throws slabs of dirt that will land on corn and bend it right flat to ground. I always cultivate as deep as I can without throwing those slabs.

Muir hill 101 · Jun 9, 2023

I hill corn and go Just as deap as I can go

NY 986 · Jun 10, 2023

I always went 1-2 inches but in sand it was hard not to go deeper even having gauge wheels. I always thought it a good idea to cultivate ahead of a rain so as the water soaked in versus running off.

wheat straw · Jun 10, 2023

Tom, watch your cultivators when you lift them out of the ground and look for those fine roots that grow out to the middles. If your seeing those hair like roots hanging from the cultivator your going to deep. Anything more than 2 inches is going to root prune. Smaller corn hasnt sent roots out to the middles yet so your safe there. When my youngest son was a kid he tilled the garden when the sweet corn was about ready to start tasseling and it turned yellow like it had no fertilizer. He thought the deeper the better. Hardly made corn that year.
Andy

Bob Bancroft · Jun 10, 2023

When my father was young cultivation was a necessity as there were no chemicals. I'm 68 and I don't recall a time without some chemicals. Even with an original rudimentary sprayer and chemicals Dad cultivated as much as he possibly could. I don't recall a problem with corn, but with red kidney beans he'd come back with root hairs hanging all over the teeth next to the rows. Then he'd put the discs on and hill both corn and beans if he could. The worst erosion we ever got was after a gully washer summer thunderstorm, right after Dad had cultivated.

caterpillar guy · Jun 10, 2023

For what you want to do I would just run one sweep in the middle of the row. IF the corn is about 6 inches or taller you can ridge it up around the plant pretty good and also cover your sidedress nitrogen this way without pruning roots bad. I would only run a sweep of about 7-10 inches depending on the height of the corn and the sidedress if just a drop tube in the row between the corn rows of with a spreader tyle program then you need to be a bit closer and shallower. With the one single sweep you could run deeper if you want.

Geo-TH,In · Jun 10, 2023

70 years ago my dad would cultivate 1-2 inches.
He claimed that loose dirt would conserve moisture. Hard packed dirt would bring moisture to the surface and dry out the moisture through capillary action.

Bob Bancroft · Jun 10, 2023

I agree that would be the way to do it. I wanted to set up a cultivator that way, but with the improvement in chemicals, have become totally dependent on them.

chcase · Jun 10, 2023

For years have depended on spray but as a kid and before roundup, we started first time no more than 2 inches and driving slow.You need to stop and make sure you are not hurting roots. With the weeds becoming chemical resistant Some are doing alot of culivating some fields again.

Traditional Farmer · Jun 10, 2023

Shallow as possible to kill the weeds using sweeps

Fordy20 · Jun 10, 2023

These are set at about 3 1/2. How much it covers depends on the speed you go. If the corn is real small you need to go slow or use shields and go faster.

4520BW · Jun 10, 2023

I was always told the same about compact dirr loosing moisture. The only cultivating i ever did was sweet corn.

How deep to cultivate?

tomstractorsandtoys

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flying belgian

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Muir hill 101

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NY 986

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wheat straw

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Bob Bancroft

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caterpillar guy

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Geo-TH,In

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Bob Bancroft

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chcase

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Traditional Farmer

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Fordy20

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4520BW

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