Hello,  I have several food plot areas that I need to clear.  Total will be about 2 acres in 7 locations of smaller plots.

I have a Kubota 27hp tractor.  Need advise on implements.

The ground is sandy loam, just cut pines off by mowing.  Many little 1-2 inch diameter stumps are left, and the occasional log may be buried in the soil from the last clear cutting. Most logs are rotted from being in wet ground for 10 + years.

Question:   How do I get this to a plantable bed?  Can I rototiller ?  should I disc harrow ?  Any suggestions?

The amount of small stumps would be too many to pull.

I will be planting basic food plot seed.  clovers, brassica, cereal grains, etc.  If you have suggestions on deep ground needs tilled that would be helpful.
Thanks
Tom

I'm used to working in hard clay so your sand will be more forgiving but, I'd say disc it, maybe pick up any bigger stuff that uncovers, then see if you can plant into. You'll have to be careful with both to make sure you don't catch a stump and tear something up on your implement.

Without a dozer I don't think you can do much with a bunch of little stumps like that in an efficient manner! When we clear small trees like that on the farm we take the dozer out and push through it until we are satisfied, throw all that on the burn pile, then level up the area.

I would think I may drag a root rake or middle buster to get as many of the larger roots, stumps, and buried logs out as I could. That kind of rubbish is going to destroy most implements, or at least make issues trying to get it done.

If you just want to plant seeds for deer feedlot, I would either burn or spray (depending on your preferences) to kill all the native grasses off, then break up the soil just enough to get your seeds established. Turning over the soil would simply allow more weeds to come up, which may mandate cultivating for a couple months before planting (or spraying).

Thanks for the replys.  I have sprayed to kill grass etc.  Would like to get a nicer seed bed.  

I have a single middle buster that I do run around some.  Would like it to be faster of course.  I guess it is just a matter of hours on task.

I have been working up a set of similar small food plot in middle Tennesse with tons of rocks and roots and a fair amount of clay.  We pulled (snatch block and cable) what we couldn't mow.  Then ran a Frontier plotmaster across it to break up what it can.  Got a deal on a new-old stock one at the local John Deer dealer.  They had busted up the road lights on it, we never road transport, so we jump on the deal they offered.  The "S" spring tines are pretty forgiving to roots and rocks in the ground.  In really stubborn places we used a box blade with the tines fully extended to act like a root rake.  After a couple passes with the we would use a rock rake to get the bulk of roots and large rocks out of the plots.  Then a good discing and its ready for planting.  A little Arrest and Slay at the correct times makes for some decent clover food plots.

I'm not equipment savvy, other than my small tiller for gardening.  I did own a skid steer/mini dozer, but didn't use it to destump.  My experience when I cleared a much smaller area, is that those small saplings/trees rot out quickly.  So certainly within two years, those should have significantly decomposed, especially soft wood like pine, when you have nice moist soil.  If you could plant in the less stump burdened areas and let the small stumps rot out over the next year or two, that will actually add to the soil as well.  Of course, it does sound like you're trying to immediately put the plots to work.

On a side note, for bigger stumps - primarily small maples to thin his mini 50ac forest (and none pine... but maybe it would work), I had a neighbor who inoculated those old stumps with mushroom plugs.  The mushrooms really quickened the decomposition and he got free edibles.  You could innoculate with any mushroom (even unknown wild and possibly poisonous) if you aren't looking to harvest as well.  Not sure that would work well for fully cleared areas since mushrooms tend to be in darker forested areas, but just a though.

I use my box blade with scarifiers down as a poor man's root rake. It works pretty well on smaller stuff.

If you've burned down all the weeds, I'd no-till drill first with an annual grass to get the organic matter built up, then burn that down the next year and plant clover/brassicas.  I've never ran a disc over any of my plots.  

Clear, spray, seed, fertilize/lime- repeat as needed.  

You will want a cultipacker if you broadcast the seeds.  

We've had little snow here this year, and my clover plots are getting hit every day.  (deer and turkeys)  With the warm weather coming in the next couple weeks they may get an early green up with all the 12-12-12 I put on last fall.

If you have a lot of stumps I would recommend renting or hiring someone with a medium to large skidsteer with a mulcher and a toothed blade.  It will be much faster, better, and eliminate a lot of wear and tear on your small tractor.

Spent 8 hours pulling my single bottom plow yesterday.    Got most of the big logs out. And turned soil about 4-6 inches deep.  Very muddy.  Now need to take out the weeds and sticks.  Then will probable till or disk.

In the future, try to never work ground when it is wet.

If it is wet enough to make a mud ball that will hold together and not crumble, it is too wet for tillage.



God didn't make a single dirt clod.   Men made them all.

Yes this is a constant issue at the farm.  Some areas are only dry in July-August.   Most of the areas I plowed up were wet but have since dried enough to be raked out flat.  Biggest issue is the number of logs that were run into ground by the skidsteers when they logged 10 years ago.  

Nothing like running the plow into a 10" x 25' buried log to make the day interesting.  Right now I spend a lot of time dealing with logs.  But it is getting better.  Yes, a larger tractor would be helpful.  I really need a back hoe to clear some of the areas of logs.  

This is a 2-3 year process for some of my areas.  Others are good to go this year.  And a few areas are just gonna be throw and grow areas for a few years.  I can Lime, Fertilize  and spray them but tillage is not really an option right now.

I seeded a few of the throw and grow areas last week.  I have very small green stems popping up, so that's at least encouraging.

Your 27hp tractor is not built to clear land.  Those small stubs you are leaving will puncture or cut your ties or worse.   You are taking a risk of tearing it up and then having to pay mega bucks for repairs.  See if someone in your area has a small dozer or a tracked skid steer with mulching blade to clear the fields.  It will save you time and allow you to use your tractor to disc and plant the grasses you want.  A neighbor did the same with a 32 hp tractor and had to replace both rear tires.  He could have paid for skid steer for 4 days what that cost him and he still has the stubs all over his field.

The sizes you are describing get about 300' of electric fence and a few hogs. My single 150# sow can effectively till 75'x100' in a week.  Little corn to encourage in the places she doesn't turn on her own.

Johnnyp.

You are 100 percent correct.  i have already snapped the front axle on the Kubota and rebuilt it.  Fortunately I can do all the work and it was not to expensive.

I am at the point where I need bigger tractors and heavy machines to do what I want done.

I will keep my little landscape tractor for the fond memories I have of my late father driving it, but newer stuff is on its way.

Thanks