Breaking ground with an ATV

[Steam]

I just picked up a used 400 cc ATV last fall. I'm looking to break ground with it up at the camp in Maine. I have 2-1/2 acres that I have brush hogged each fall. Now that I have a machine I'm looking to do some planting. What works out there for breaking up the groung with an ATV? Most of what I see is out of my price range. I was thinking of dragging a log with a stout hook on the end just to turn up the soil. Anybody have any "homemade" plans that work? All the gizmos in the catologs make it look so easy, I know it can't be true. Mother Nature doesen't change that easy. I am planning on burning part of the field as soon as I get off of this ship.

[buckfever]

welcome to the site man. I cant help you alot on your post but thought i would give you a link to another conversation going on about this in The Lodge forum. Hope you enjoy the site.
Which One?

[Buckshot]

I read the thread BF listed and have to pretty much agree with what Huntingman said. I couldn't imagine trying to break new ground around here with less that a 20 horse tractor.

If you find something that works I would like to see it. We fashion a drag similar to what you are talking about but we just use it to cover the seed.

We plant probably about 15 acres in about that many plots from small to about 3 acres. It takes four of us with two tractors all weekend to turn, disc, seed and cover them.

[muleskinner]

I ended up buy a DR Power Grader it toes behind my ATV. It is a lot more versitle than anything else I looked at. The are supose to deliver it tomorrow so I'll let you know how it works. My thinking is, once I kill off the vegitation the scarfire should break up the ground and the drag will cover the seed. in addition I can use it to grade my 600 ft driveway Go to DR power equipment online and take a look. Their rototiller was very tempting.

[Hunting Man]

Muleskinner, I looked at the video, I am very interested what you think of the unit's performance. They are running a big sale on these I see! Origionally pretty pricey.

[Hunting Man]

Some additional planting info, according to Whitetail Institute, if you plant small seeds like clover, the seed bed must be very compacted and void of cracks or too much loose soil. It seems that the small seeds get too covered up and you will get poor yield. Larger seeds like beans, power plant will survive in a more loose soil. They claim you need a compacted soil bed where your foot only makes a slight print in it and to only drag over the small seeds one time to make soil/seed contact. Of course proper soil PH and fertilizer needs to be figured out prior to planting. It looks like the DR machine allows you to tilt the unit and adjust the rear blade engagement pressure to the ground. This may work for lightly draging after the seeding is complete. Hope it works!

[muleskinner]

Thanks for the tips. I need all the advice I can get. The farmer I lease from has a cultipacker. I should see if my ATV can pull it. I'll never get a tractor in where I plan to have the food plot.

[muleskinner]

Huntingman, I think that sale on the power grader ends Monday the 31. I have 10 pile of tops soil about 100 yards of dirt. I plan on make a mound to plant pine trees on for a border at my house. The grader is to be deliver today. If it doesn't rain I'll try it out and let you know ASAP.

[Hunting Man]

Thanks, just to let you know its raining here in Toledo, probably headed your way.

[muleskinner]

I had a chance to try it out. The jury is still out. It did a great job on the driveway. The dirt piles were still very wet. I'm not sure a skid steer would have done much better. I look at it and cant believe there is $1,200 worth of anything in it! By the way, my wife made the same coment once the dirt is dry I think it will do fine. With the 6 month free trial you can't go wrong. No questions asked, they'll refund it if you don't like it.