[oldmanfarmer]

I have about 15 acres that has been forgotten about and is over grown with weeds, wild black berry thorns, and trees from 1 to 3 inch thick and a few(5-6) that are 5 inch thick and larger.

Up to 3 years ago I used to have it cut but that's about it.

I don't know if the field has ever grown any type of corp or if its ever been tilled or plowed so it might have tons of rocks in it.
I am not sure how or what tools to use to make it usable and need you'r all help.
1st I was going to bush hog(rotary cutter) it.
2nd use a subsoiler for the roots.
3rd should I burn the field or use a 3pt rake? If burning it is best then when is the best time of the year to do it?
4th Plow or disc? the soil is extremely hard clay so i'm not sure if the disc would work?
5th disc if plow was #4

Not only am I not sure how to do it i'm not sure when in the season would be best and if its already late for this year?

If anyone has any suggestions please reply and i'm also not sure what type of crops would work best for clay soil(not to harvest at this time, just to help the soil). Eventually I will get it to be, a nutrient rich, black soil that i can grow just about any thing I throw at it but that will be work.

 

[Hoodoo Valley]

Do you have means of irrigating? I'm no farmer, but I know that quite a few folks here burn their fields shortly after the snow melts for just weeds. Those who do crops, obviously the soil has been tilled before so that is a bit different situation. My place, I just started mowing the weeds wnen we built here and if you kept it mowed, the grass would take hold. If you're wanting grass, this is the way I did it.

 

[oldmanfarmer]

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Do you have means of irrigating? I'm no farmer, but I know that quite a few folks here burn their fields shortly after the snow melts for just weeds. Those who do crops, obviously the soil has been tilled before so that is a bit different situation. My place, I just started mowing the weeds when we built here and if you kept it mowed, the grass would take hold. If you're wanting grass, this is the way I did it.

i'm not sure to what ends of irrigation your talking about but we recently received county water so we have 2 1500 gallon water tanks that get water from run off that eventually I can use for crops. If were to burn I planed to talk to the volunteer F.D to see if they wanted to use the burn off for training the new recruits they just got, 6 of them I think.

A bunch of kids with flappers. For those that don't know, a flapper is a stick connected to a flat hunk of rubber used to smoother brush fire cinders.

 

[deerhide]

Bush hog all you can, let it dry some, you will probably have to rake it some, then burn it. That will help raise the ph and potassium, which u will need.

 

[RC Wells]

Read Kuhn's recommended tillage equipment material.

http://www.kuhnnorthamerica.com/us/range/tillage-tools.html

 

[A2lute]

One more vote for burn, might want to pull the trees out first. We did 10ft wide fires on the hay farm, one guy with a shovel on either side to steer it.

 

[deerhide]

I have about 15 acres that has been forgotten about and is over grown with weeds, wild black berry thorns, and trees from 1 to 3 inch thick and a few(5-6) that are 5 inch thick and larger.

Up to 3 years ago I used to have it cut but that's about it.

I don't know if the field has ever grown any type of corp or if its ever been tilled or plowed so it might have tons of rocks in it.
I am not sure how or what tools to use to make it usable and need you'r all help.
1st I was going to bush hog(rotary cutter) it.
2nd use a subsoiler for the roots.
3rd should I burn the field or use a 3pt rake? If burning it is best then when is the best time of the year to do it?
4th Plow or disc? the soil is extremely hard clay so i'm not sure if the disc would work?
5th disc if plow was #4

Not only am I not sure how to do it i'm not sure when in the season would be best and if its already late for this year?

If anyone has any suggestions please reply and i'm also not sure what type of crops would work best for clay soil(not to harvest at this time, just to help the soil). Eventually I will get it to be, a nutrient rich, black soil that i can grow just about any thing I throw at it but that will be work.

It's clay so plow in the fall, harrow in the spring shortly before you plant.