# best tractor implement to get up small roots



## TatSoul

bushogged a few areas that had small trees and some bushes that had pretty good root systems.Anyone know the best implement to get in there and get all that crap up.Someone suggested a box blade with the spikes that come down in the front without the box on it.cant think of what he called it.Need to come up with something cause its going to be near imposible to disc and want toget these plots in by 2nd week of september


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## Huntinman

A root rake. A front end loader might work best. I would be careful regarding the size of your tractor.

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## chaps

I have the same problem. I was able to get some smaller ones out with box blade and spikes and some out with a rake. I'll probably have to hire someone with some heavier equipment to get bigger roots.


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## Mike aka FishWerks

TatSoul said:


> Someone suggested a box blade with the spikes that come down in the front without the box on it.cant think of what he called it.


scarifier Ie; box blade with scarifier


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## hjorgan

*chisel plow?*

We have one of these that will rip up most anything root-wise.
Also gets DEEP for a first-break on new plots.


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## bcbz71

TatSoul said:


> bushogged a few areas that had small trees and some bushes that had pretty good root systems.Anyone know the best implement to get in there and get all that crap up.Someone suggested a box blade with the spikes that come down in the front without the box on it.cant think of what he called it.Need to come up with something cause its going to be near imposible to disc and want toget these plots in by 2nd week of september


The best tool is an excavator, but if you want to stick to 3pt hitch equipment, get a 1 or 2 bottom plow. You can rip the hell out of roots with it until it get clogged, then back over the pile and push it to the side with your FEL and take another bite. I've cleared several acres this way and it's the best way to get all those roots up. You will be wasting your time and money with a box blade. It will clog up quickly and never go deep enough to get out all the roots and small stumps.


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## TatSoul

Yeah the plow sounds real good.I have one but was scared to break or bend it .Dont have any real big roots like tree roots mostly just bush roots.Not sure the name of them bushes but they grow about 6 foot tall.I will give the plow a shot when it dries up out there a little bit more.All the rain we got this season has been hell on food plots.Thanks for the replies


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## Grassflatsfisher

A bull dozier with a root rake is the best way. If that's not an option a box blade with rake or scarifier on it. You can try a root rake on your tractor bucket but it's going to need to be a pretty big tractor and make sure you got weight on the back of it. 

You will break a chisel plow or cultivator if the roots are to big. Pulling roots is not what they are designed for. They are used to break dirt not roots.


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## Grassflatsfisher

Got to thinking about this last night. You could just wait till the new growth starts back in a couple weeks and go in and spray it with roundup to kill it. Really wheat, oats, clover, etc. doesn't need to be covered up all that much to grow. Then If you spray some roundup or cornerstone a few times this coming spring and summer those roots will die and rot pretty good and will disk up good next year. Just a thought and may save you some $ instaed of buying a new implement.


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## bcbz71

TatSoul said:


> Yeah the plow sounds real good.I have one but was scared to break or bend it .Dont have any real big roots like tree roots mostly just bush roots.Not sure the name of them bushes but they grow about 6 foot tall.I will give the plow a shot when it dries up out there a little bit more.All the rain we got this season has been hell on food plots.Thanks for the replies


I don't think you can break a mulboard plow like the ones in my pictures ... it should stop your tractor first before it breaks or bends. 

If it's anything like the mat of roots we had, you can almost roll it up like carpet with your FEL if you can get under it to start the roll. I roll until the tractor won't push it anymore, then come in from 90 degrees and rip off the "roll" and start again. It's pretty easy (and fun) with hydrostatic drive...not sure it's possible with a manual shift tractor.

Grassflats is right that small grains don't need much bare dirt to germinate, but glyphosate will NOT work on brush, only on soft weeds. You could spray special brush killer, but those roots will be there for years as your disc rolls on top of them. Or get stuck in disc blads and frustrate the hell out of you each time disc.


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## Contender

If you are planting, wheat, oats, clover etc. then just leave them scarify the ground with a disk. If the brush sprouts spray it. These time next year most of the roots will have rotted and a disk will get them.

Root rakes on dozers can move a lot of soil into the windrows and the soil that is moved is the richest and best that you have. Typically the sandy soils of this part of the world are not that nutrient rich anyway. High rainfall tends to leach the nutrients out, plus sand is not as rich as loam or clay. 

A little bit of exposed soil is all rye, wheat, oats and clover needs so in this case less site prep might be better. Save money and nutrients.


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## bobinbusan

Got a lot of them, RENT A STUMP GRINDER, Works good and fast and don't tear up easy.:whistling: :whistling::thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## drifterfisher

Most of the smaller stuff can be cut with a disc.


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## TatSoul

yeah i dont have a bucket.its a ford 3000 diesel.pretty strong tractor.Just gonna pull the plow thru it a couple times and than grab all the roots and rake up what we can.drag it all off than run the disc.prob be alot of work but no biggie.Im sure i can plant over it but i really dont want to ferterlize a bunch of other crap.thanks for all the suggestions.Ill take photos.here is a picture of one of the plots we mowed.as you can see all the way to the right those were the kinda bushes we mowed.some of the roots are like 2 inches thick but mostly small with a bunch of bark and crap on the ground


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## bcbz71

If it's like most soil around here, it will need tons of lime (literally). Figure on 3T per acre and it will be 6 months before the soil sweetens. Rye grain is just about the most forgiving winter crop you can grow on new soil. My first year plots are usually pathetic until the lime gets a chance to neutralize the acidity. 

You do soil samples yet?


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## TatSoul

bcbz71 said:


> If it's like most soil around here, it will need tons of lime (literally). Figure on 3T per acre and it will be 6 months before the soil sweetens. Rye grain is just about the most forgiving winter crop you can grow on new soil. My first year plots are usually pathetic until the lime gets a chance to neutralize the acidity.
> 
> You do soil samples yet?


yeah its not your typical round here soil.Its in calhoun county over by tallahassee.the plots we planted already out there did really good.


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