What is "Lightly Disking" and is it better than a drag

[DRG3]

I will be planting Iron Clay Cow please, Lablab, sunflowers and Milo this weekend. I have both a disk and a drag harrow. I have never planted this mix before so not sure which method is better for covering this specific seed- which I know needs to be deeper than the smaller seed I normally plant.

I don't have a drill, so I will be broadcasting

Up until now, I have always used my drag, but I don't know that it covers very deeply. Would I be better off using my disc to go back over the seed after sowing it?

If so- what is the proper method- Im assuming I don't drop it fully in the ground or go to fast- but if lightly disking is the best option here- what is the right way to do it?

Thanks in advance

 

[KY wild]

What I would do........if they are already in a mix....... I would split the difference since too many variables to predict, especially future rain
1. Prepare seed bed
2. Spread half the seed and lightly disk ( only let the disk cut about an inch or less)
3. spread the other half of the seed on top of the disked ground
4. run a drag over
5. then if you have roller great use it, if not then drive around letting the tires pack at least some of the field to once again split the difference

Don't put all your eggs in one basket type of philosophy

 

[bigboreblr]

Lightly disk. No xtra weight ontop of disk, make angle of blades less sharp. Many discs only require one pass. IF you have a depth limiting wheels, set them maybe 2 inches

Little rows make funnels for the seed to go into.

I bought a set of heavier discs for my ATV.


I dont play much with foodplot varieties the past 2 or 3 years. I Do small grains, clover, and maybe some brassicas. I lightly disc, then spread large seed, then drag or roll, then spread small seed and roll again. 1/2 n 1/2 as mentioned above works good too. I have too much deer pressure for beans to work. They'll just hammer them at home. Most of my food lot surface at camp doesn't get a ton of light, so they'd be hammered there from slow growth. Also, need somewhat durable plants to deal with light ATV traffic.

I made some of the best stands of small grain in years with no fertilizer this past year. The corners that get disced heavier, I would put a bit more seed, maybe after rolling in.

Not sure if the corners got dried out from being looser soil than the main section of the plot, or the seed got too deep.

No till is considered disturbing the soil 30% or less. So, light discing it technically still no till. IT also make the plants go into row pattern too.

You need to view methods with a grain of salt. Soil type, relative mositure, agressiveness of equipment are a few fctors where this might work for someone and not so great for others. Too deep can be an issue for smaller seeds.

Going to try grains with faster growing annual clovers in a plot or two this upcoming year. medium red maybe balsana or berseem.

 

[BenA]

Either of the above methods should work. What I've done with those seeds before is to disk with the blades set at a good cutting angle. Then, spread the seed. Readjust the blades so they're straight. Run over it good with the blades just high enough to break up the clods. That should cover them enough. I'd wait until you have a really good chance of rain in the forecast.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Timely rain is the great equalizer of all planting strategies

bill

 

[bigboreblr]

DRG3,

Your drag harrow goes too deeply? What kind of soil do you have? What kind of equipment do you have?

Generally mixes, put the big stuff, level it out once, spread the small seed, level or roll in. Sandy soil stuff get deep easier than clay. Cultipacker, lawn roller, and use harrows lightly. Drag harrows have teeth on one side and chainlink fence like on the other. Also, most drag harrows can have the teeth pointing forward or back. Adding some mild weight ontop of harrows can make them work deepr too. A good option if your disc cultivator is a bit too agressive. You can use wheels or make a depth settier with some 4x4's with 2x4s to fine adjust depth on disc cultivators. Kimd of like skis on them. Put an bolt sticking out of the wood a little bit on the end to scratch up the leveled out spot from the wood. Adjustable depth setting wheels like ones on the back of bush hogs or york rake is a nice options on harrows, S tines, or disc cultivators.

 

[DRG3]

DRG3,

Your drag harrow goes too deeply? What kind of soil do you have? What kind of equipment do you have?

Generally mixes, put the big stuff, level it out once, spread the small seed, level or roll in. Sandy soil stuff get deep easier than clay. Cultipacker, lawn roller, and use harrows lightly. Drag harrows have teeth on one side and chainlink fence like on the other. Also, most drag harrows can have the teeth pointing forward or back. Adding some mild weight ontop of harrows can make them work deepr too. A good option if your disc cultivator is a bit too agressive. You can use wheels or make a depth settier with some 4x4's with 2x4s to fine adjust depth on disc cultivators. Kimd of like skis on them. Put an bolt sticking out of the wood a little bit on the end to scratch up the leveled out spot from the wood. Adjustable depth setting wheels like ones on the back of bush hogs or york rake is a nice options on harrows, S tines, or disc cultivators.

No, in my case I don't think my drag will go deep enough to cover this larger seed I am using for my summer plots . That's why I was looking to lighlty disc it in. Historically- with smaller seed I've just broadcast into a tilled up seedbed and run my chain drag over it. However- when I tried that with this larger seed, I did not get any kind of good stand, so just looking at a different method to cover more deeply.

 

[Stubborn1VT]

Neither will cover 100% of the seed, but a drag/chain harrows will certainly cover big seed. I've used it on corn and beans with decent success.