Wondering if anyone used a landscape rake to remove rocks from their plots. Rock size I'm talking about are roughly baseball/softball to slightly bigger. The big ones we have an actual rock bucket/grapple but haven't had a lot of time to try it yet, and this year so far is extremely wet so doubt it could even be used for a month yet.
landscape rakes and rocks
- Thread starter Vandy
- Start date
CTM1
Active Member
I had spent a ton of time picking rocks in my plots, especially in my largest over the last two years. While frost seeding back in earl April it was if I never did a thing. We had so much snow which lead to so much water run off it exposed every rock hiding just below the surface. I think I am forever done picking rocks unless a large one pops up.
farmhunter
Well-Known Member
A cultipacker has become a best friend to me with rocks
lakngolf
Well-Known Member
Huh?
farmhunter
Well-Known Member
When I plow and disk - the cultipacker helps push them back down and out of the way before or after planting depending on the crop - I still pick plenty - but that double cultipacker can really make a difference pushing them back down!
this is what most plots of mine look like when I plow - some are worse or have bigger rocks -
this is what most plots of mine look like when I plow - some are worse or have bigger rocks -
That's sparce loose gravel...When I plow and disk - the cultipacker helps push them back down and out of the way before or after planting depending on the crop - I still pick plenty - but that double cultipacker can really make a difference pushing them back down!
this is what most plots of mine look like when I plow - some are worse or have bigger rocks -
. I'm struggling with much larger stuff that that is big enough to destroy implements. They seem to multiply.....
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I know it looks hopeless but my experience is keep picking them off and eventually there is a difference. I took twenty wheelbarrows of sandstone rocks off of a quarter acre garden two years in a row, eventually there were no more. I'm lucky to get 6 fist sized ones in a year now. It all depends on the type of rocks as to what equipment works best. 2X manually picking.
If anyone here has hired someone to do their plots for them did they pick any rocks at all ? I ask because I am doing .5 acre trail system for a guy and I said I would move some of the Massive rocks (like keg size) and possibly some of the smaller ones that would cause damage to tiller... well in his mind that translated to me picking rocks for 2 hours until my shovel broke and I finally just said I am tilling it and that's it, your always going to have rocks and it just comes with doing plots. I mean when I was done it did look a million times better but still I guess I am just curious as to anyone elses experiences with contracted land work. (btw I have nothing in contract about rocks)
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
When I rented fields to a farmer that picked rocks, he'd had five workers picking rocks manually and throwing them in the front end loader while the driver inched slowly along. Rock picking wasn't in the contract but he was improving his yield and reducing equipment breakage. It took two full farmer days for the six man crew to pick 35 acres. I would say that any contract should say rock picking is not included. Sometimes it is just as important to say what will not be done as what will be done. Not mentioning it in a contract leaves one open for unrealistic expectations.
There is just no way to create an accurate estimate of time and equipment breakage to remove a field of rocks. It would have to be done on a per hour basis plus equipment repair costs.
There is just no way to create an accurate estimate of time and equipment breakage to remove a field of rocks. It would have to be done on a per hour basis plus equipment repair costs.
I have one person drive the Kubota very slow. Then all the other persons who are picking rocks out of the fields throw them in the front end loader. Slow tedious work for sure. What really saves me is having my RR corn and soy beans no till planted. That just leaves the rocks where they are under the surface.
