The first step in the process of preparing the field for planting was to clear the ground of fallen trees by cutting them into firewood. I limited myself to the trees which were either a direct impediment to tilling, or so close to the field as to limit my movement in the vicinity. Selective though I was, the amount of firewood generated was considerable. I was able to construct a new line of logs and begin another.
In the picture, the new logs are those in the center-left and center right. Each line is approximately 16’ long and 4’ tall. Unfortunately, it is mostly cottonwood. The firewood snobs turn up their noses to it because it generates an inconvenient volume of ash when burned. They won’t even take it away for free. So, it all remains stacked until some good use presents itself.
In the past, I used a great many such logs to form a low wall along part of the property line. The plan was that these logs would decay and form a berm to prevent water from the road from flooding that part of the lot. The logs sprouted numerous mushrooms during the first few years of decay and gradually sank into the soft ground in the area. Perhaps it is time to add another layer to the pile.
Tilling the field was discouraging. The tiller I have rented in the past was, to my considerable regret, unavailable. However, I found what, upon initial inspection, appeared to be an acceptable alternative. I was much mistaken! Even though the safety warning on the tiller clearly indicated that it had counter-rotating tines, it did not. The tines were forward rotating. Machines with forward rotating tines simply cannot accomplish the task of tilling through the vegetation in my field. They are only useful for breaking up a field which is already in good condition.
Counter-rotating tines dig deeply and turn under the surface material, leaving the surface soil well-broken and easily raked before seeding. Forward rotating tines merely scrape the surface and, whenever they encounter a patch of ground truly in need of tilling, the machine launches itself forward in the direction of the nearest damageable target. It took me two days, rather than one. I lost one fence post and nearly took out a lilac tree due to unexpected launches of the machine. And, there were still places the tiller hardly denuded of grass. Finally, I called it done and returned the tiller to the store.
The next day, I began to rake the field. We use a push-type seeder which scrapes a channel 1” deep. If there are too many roots or stems the seeder plows up a pile and has to be lifted over it before continuing down the line. Raking is, therefore, necessary to reduce the frustration of interruptions in the seeding.
Usually, I use a large sled to carry away the slash because it holds more volume than our wheelbarrow or wagon and it slides over the ground with minimal friction drag. Generally, the slash is used to fill low spots along the road edge. Unfortunately, because the tiller did not turn under the surface material, there was so much slash left that I was forced to give up the plan of hauling it away.
I simply windrowed it where the footpaths will be between plots. It will serve as mulch to keep weeds from growing there, or slightly delay their growth, which is more likely to be the case.
To my aging eyes, it appears to be a whole lot of work accomplished and opportunity for something next in line in your schedule to appear beneficially green and worth the effort you’ve spent.
On the other hand, my greatest admiration is for your attitude in making something good come out of the real challenging obstacles you met! Congratulations, young man! Your steadfast pursuit of the end goal is highly commendable, at least in my own eyes. I hope you feel good satisfaction for your having continued to prepare your land for the next stage of operations.