atv implements

[CodyDawg]

I would like to get something that can be pulled by my ATV that can plow up the ground. I see those disc-like implements at Fleet Farm, but wonder if they really can get through the grass. anyone have something they pull with an ATV that will suffice for food plot plowing?

[Nova]

I have one of those fleet farm discs and it works. If you have deep roots it will take some extra weigh( we just have a fat boy like me sit on it). Once you get it going it works well. After you do it once, the next few times you don't need the weight. It's not a tiller, but if worked for my 3 plots and now they are real easy to do.

[WB make the CUT]

Cody

Anymore info on those at Fleet, cost???

I am thinking along the same line, The plot mule by Summit is out of my league.

Thanks

BTW No Fllet in Duluth

[Mark Christianson]

If you are cutting sod up, the disc is gonna take a ton of passes.

First off, if you can burn the area, do that. It will get all the above ground tangles out of the way. If you cant burn it, you will have your work cut out.

As stated above, weight is a must on the discs to get them to grind into the turf.

Fleet carries 2 or 3 different ATV discs. I have the King Kutter tandem disc. One gang in front of the other. Its about $400-$450 depending if you find it on sale or not.

We have a 4 ft wide digger as we call it that was an old farm implement. That thing is better than anything else we have for ripping and tearing up the ground. I do not know of any place to get them other than old fence rows. here is a pic.

My Dad just found a 5 foot wide one last week that he got for 25 bucks.

[Nova]

Biglakes is right, it's tought to break up sod. But in soil with just light weeds and small tree roots I have had good luck. I just have the single gang one from fleet. I am going to look for one those diggers in farm country by the cabin. Looks like the ticket to me.

Biglakes, do you burn off the plot from last year before you replant? I have rye in all of mine, and I was just going to disc it under and replant. What do you suggest?

[CodyDawg]

I will have to try and find one of those diggers. We wont be able to burn this area, but we prolly can mow it, which should help a little. As it is not a big area, we can make a few passes with no problem. actually, i have given some thought to renting a tiller. My dad has a big JD riding lawn mower and the tiller for that would be perfect, but they are kinda spendy.

Thanks for the responses, it sounds like we should think about picking one up.

[Mark Christianson]

Nova

Once the plot is established, the gear will till it just fine. Its that initial sod busting that sux bad.

We got a tractor and some equipment this summer, so our bigger plots will be a breeze going forward.

Now we just need the planters. If we dont get them, we will use the spreader/drag method again next spring.

Cody

Are there any rocks in the area? If so, the old tiller might not be an option. Mowing it would help a lot for starters.

[CodyDawg]

Nope, no rocks to worry about. We bought a sprayer last year, so hopefully this next year we can buy a plow/tiller of some sort. I figure we will spray, then mow, then till, then broadcast, then watch, then shoot, then gut, then eat. How is that for a schedule?

[Nova]

Now that's what I'm talking about Cody. I like that routine alot.

[ChuckN]

I busted up sod last year and it was a lot of work.

A friend brought in a tractor and a plow to rip that stuff up, turn it over, and let it die. Then we disc'd the heck out of it.

The sod came back within a few weeks.

BLB helped me spray with Round Up and killed it off.

Mowed the dead grass down and more discing, raking, etc.. a couple months later trying to get that dead sod outta there.

I think it worked, but I'll know come spring when that new seeded plot grows.

I'm a rookie at this, but if I were to do it again:

Spray Round Up over the entire plot area.

Mow it, burn it, whatever...get it outta there. (It will die after a couple weeks and will burn when everything else is green)

Tractor with plow to rip it up.

Disc it and rake.

Spray again.

Seed.

I supposed fertilize/lime it in there too after spraying.

It's fun to build plots. I wish I had more land to build more.

[Mark Christianson]

The only thing to mention Chuck, is that spraying with round up only works when the plants are green and growing.

If you attack a plot before it starts growing in the spring, the round up isnt necessary. You are dealing with mainly dead stuff anyway. I'd say get in there as soon as you can in the spring and start scratching and digging. Then let 'er grow a couple weeks once things start to come to life, and nuke it good. Now your talking baby!!!! Let it sit another couple weeks and start working up your seed bed.

What we did on yours will help some weed control for this coming spring hopefully since we nuked the hell out of it in late summer.

I think I have created a couple new plot fanatics in the Battle Lake area by the looks of it.

[CodyDawg]

Chuck,

I hear ya on the sod issue.

You did forget about the track, gut, drag and eat part though. That is an important part to any food plot.

The problem I have is that I cannot get a tractor to where I want to put this one. So I am stuck with an ATV.....

[Mark Christianson]

.... and rakes and shovels.

Doh!

[PerchJerker]

I have a worksaver flip over disc that I pull with my atv. Works pretty good but needs some added weight when doing hard ground or cutting through sod/turf. I made a plywood platform that sits on top of the disc, and use 50 lb bags of crushed lime for weight. Cheap, easy, and who cares if the lime spills into the plot (and when you're done tilling, dump it instead of hauling it out of there).

Another option for tilling sod/turf is to keep it mowed short, then till it when it's wet. Wet ground tills SOOOOO much easier than dry hard ground. You want the grass to be short so you don't have to cut through it to get to the ground, but your atv should get enough traction if there's still some turf there unless it's really, really wet.

After you cut through and turn over the turf the first time, it will dry up and die off and be much much easier disc from then on. That would be a good time to spray roundup for the grass that comes back. I would start working it in the spring but plan to not plant it until fall - that should give you a well tilled and weed/grass-free plot. Good luck.

A great place in the northern part of the state to buy implements is Runnings. Not sure where they are but there's a few of them around, I know there's one in Grand Rapids. Very good prices from what I've seen - the disc I have sells there for under $400 (at least it used to).

[BLACKJACK]

I've started doing what perchjerker suggests, work it up in the spring, till it periodically in the summer to kill off any weed growth, then plant in the early fall. I don't have a sprayer but I have a small tractor and two bottom plow, I mowed a couple of spots real short, burnt the trash off of one spot, plowed it, then disced it a few times between June and my August planting of rye and annual brasicas. Since both of them are annuals, I will be working the spots again this spring and putting in clover. By the time I planted in August, most of the weed competition had sprouted and been killed. The only thing I'd do differently is plant a little earlier, the brassicas only got about a foot tall.

[Beeber]

If you are dealing with perennial grasses like Quackgrass do not till it before you spray it with Roundup. Let it greenup in the Spring then hit it with Roundup @ 1-2 qt/A with AMS @ 3 lb/A. Wait a couple of weeks then start your tillage. If you work it first you will be fighting with the regrowth from the roots most of the summer. The same applies for weeds like Canada Thistle. If you don't kill the roots you will have your work cut out for you.

Good luck