Plowd and planted
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:38 am
My last trip to the farm I plowed and planted 7 acres at my Uncle Dennis's. The ground turned over pretty well considering it hasn't been plowed in 25 years. Except for what I call saw grass at the bottom of the field. It was pushing the plows out of the ground and when it did cut it it would flip back down. All the deer field plots I have done didn't really prepare me to do a large field. In a plot if you have a bunch of grass clumps you just hit it quickly with the tiller. There's nothing fast about tilling 7 acres though. I see I need to all the hoses and nozzles on my sprayer. And figure out how to use it. And kill off all the grass before I plow.
Plowed up 7 acres at Uncle Deno's to plant rye. I must be getting better at plowing. I usually have a mess at the dead furrows. But this time it all lined up nicely.
The 265 massey sure got a work out. Between plowing, disking, tilling, backblading and planting. I put 54 hrs on that tractor alone.
Pulling the crows foot cultipackers behind the disks really helped break up the dirt clods. It didn't do much for the grass though.
The field has never been limed and needed it bad as it is very acidic. But this spring I found a lime/fertilizer spreader at a auction. It was in rough shape and it took two and a half days for me Uncle Dennis and Uncle Jim. To get it going. It still needs a lot of work but it did the job. I put down 1200lbs of lime a acre. And did a few other fields spreading almost 17 tons of lime.
Coming back after spreading a load of lime to get another. The partially painted name on the spreader is Block's. And I am tickled pink to have this particular spreader. As kids every spring Mom, Grandma and sometimes Aunt Rusty. Would go to Block's nursery and Farm Market to get their plants. And we would go thought the summer to get our fresh produce. It brings back lots of good memory's.
Well after a lot of work the field is in. And it has rained a few times since I left. So hopefully it is up and growing. Its a little rough this year. But should be a lot better next year. I haven't decided if I am going plant barley next year. Or put in clover and a cover crop to turn down into green manure the following spring and plant oats.
Billy
Plowed up 7 acres at Uncle Deno's to plant rye. I must be getting better at plowing. I usually have a mess at the dead furrows. But this time it all lined up nicely.
The 265 massey sure got a work out. Between plowing, disking, tilling, backblading and planting. I put 54 hrs on that tractor alone.
Pulling the crows foot cultipackers behind the disks really helped break up the dirt clods. It didn't do much for the grass though.
The field has never been limed and needed it bad as it is very acidic. But this spring I found a lime/fertilizer spreader at a auction. It was in rough shape and it took two and a half days for me Uncle Dennis and Uncle Jim. To get it going. It still needs a lot of work but it did the job. I put down 1200lbs of lime a acre. And did a few other fields spreading almost 17 tons of lime.
Coming back after spreading a load of lime to get another. The partially painted name on the spreader is Block's. And I am tickled pink to have this particular spreader. As kids every spring Mom, Grandma and sometimes Aunt Rusty. Would go to Block's nursery and Farm Market to get their plants. And we would go thought the summer to get our fresh produce. It brings back lots of good memory's.
Well after a lot of work the field is in. And it has rained a few times since I left. So hopefully it is up and growing. Its a little rough this year. But should be a lot better next year. I haven't decided if I am going plant barley next year. Or put in clover and a cover crop to turn down into green manure the following spring and plant oats.
Billy