Tilling with a tractor-mounted disc implement. Photo: PCA

Tips and Precautions:

• On very rocky sites, large rocks will need to be removed by hand between tillage rounds to prevent damage to equipment and create a good seedbed for drill seeding.

• Repeated tilling isn’t recommended for very steep sites. For sloped sites, even those with gentle slopes, ensure that all tilling takes place on contour to minimize erosion. 

• It’s best practice to ensure that all tractors and tillage equipment are cleaned before they arrive at your site for each tillage round; if equipment is caked with mud or debris, it risks spreading invasive plants, invasive worms and other pests. 

• Tilling in very dry and windy conditions can result in soil loss as dusty soil can become airborne. Conversely, tilling when soils are saturated and muddy can compact your soil permanently. Be aware of weather conditions around tilling and plan accordingly. 

Where it’s appropriate: Open fields of one or more acres, without trees or woody plants, are best suited to repeated tilling. This technique works well to convert hayfields or former agricultural fields with minimal invasive species presence. It’s best used in dry to medium soils, as it can create soil compaction (and equipment can get stuck) in wet areas.

Where it’s inappropriate: If rhizomatous invasive plants like mugwort(Artemisia vulgaris), or Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), are present on a site, repeated tilling can be counterproductive, as tillage chops up the invasive plants’ roots and gives rise to thousands of new plants wherever root fragments are spread. Repeated tilling can also create damaging erosion on sloping sites if appropriate measures (such as contour plowing) aren’t taken.

Overview: The area to be prepared should be shallowly tilled (disced) to a depth of 2-3” every 3-4 weeks over the course of one full growing season, beginning in May and ending in late September or early October prior to later fall seeding

Equipment: On very small areas like lawns, a rototiller can be used. On larger sites, a tractor and disc are necessary. On sites with well-established vegetation, especially hayfields, the first round of tillage may need to begin with a deep plowing using a moldboard plow, followed by a shallow discing. Sites where trees and shrubs are beginning to grow should be mowed with a brush hog before any tilling, to remove woody growth.

Timing: The time between tillage rounds is somewhat flexible and will depend on the time of year and the weather conditions that season. For example, rounds of tilling may need to be closer together in spring and early summer when plants are growing vigorously. In wet years with lots of weed growth, the time between rounds will be less than in dry years. Leave enough time between rounds for seeds to germinate and begin to grow, but ensure that no weeds are allowed to go to seed or establish significant root growth between tillage rounds. 

Photo: Moldboard plow beginning site preparation with initial deep tillage, prior to repeated shallow tillage rounds. Photo: PCA

Finding a professional: It’s usually easiest to work with a local farmer to complete this site preparation method. If you already have a relationship with someone who mows your fields, that person might be set up to conduct repeat tilling themselves or may know someone who could. You can also reach out to your local land trust or Cornell Cooperative Extension service for guidance in finding a professional.

Photo (left): Midsummer regrowth of weeds and pasture grasses between tillage rounds. This photo was taken in late July, a few days before midsummer tilling. Three weeks had elapsed since the most recent tillage round. Photo: PCA