Will this work?

[ReflexHunter]

Hey guys, I had planned to get someone with a tractor and disc etc. to come in and work up the soil and expand an existing plot.  This past weekend it rained about 2 inches and the clay soil is WET!  I doubt I would be able to get a tractor in there for weeks.  I have a roto-tiller and was wondering if anyone has ever tried to till sod with one before or if you think it would work.  The area used to be farmed 20-30ish years ago. The area I'm looking at is to the left of the exposed area. Thanks for the feedback.
 
ReflexHunter

[Goose]

It should work, I would mow it first as short as possible then go over it with the tiller. It wont be like doing a garden but it should work if your willing to sweat a little.

[buckhunter21]

What Goose said is right...Little sweat equity and you should be fine!  I'd spray it too first with some roundup, so when you do put your plots in, all that hard work isn't hurt with the weeds.  What you could do is spray, wait a week, till it up, rake all the grass chunks out, even out the dirt, spread your seed, rake again, and wait for rain!   What's the pH do you know?

[ReflexHunter]

Hey, thanks for the input.  buckhunter21, I have never done a ph test, two years ago when I planted a mix of clover and brassicas I just limed and fertilized according to the recomendations on the bags.  The ph must be pretty good because everything grew awesome, that is until the deer found it, then it was leveled, which is why I need to go bigger. Thanks again guys.

[ranwin33]

I've used rototillers on sod a couple of times, both front and rear tine.  You'll find if you burn it first it will be easier.  Don't expect it to be great this year, but come back next year and you should find the soil works up even better.  That would be when I'd put $$$ into it.

[Goose]

Good luck and keep us updated in the Land management thread under WI forums- http://forum.deeranddeerhunting.com/tm.aspx?m=21715

[GTOHunter]

Its going to take a lot of work Roto-tilling a good size parcel of ground to plant a food plot,I was thinking about doing the same thing on a few small strips of ground off from our main food plots and a little closer to my ladder stands when I Bow Hunt.A rear-tined tiller would be easier to use and not beat you to death.....it may be better to wait a little and hope for some strong winds and sunny weather to dry up your field you plan on planting? [&:] We got lucky here the past week,we have been getting rain constantly all Spring....well it finally cleared up and we planted the last 3 Food Plots saturday out of a total of 7 all together and we have been getting rain here in Missouri on monday and tuesday and they are calling for more,we also disc-ed and tilled up the garden but it will take several days of dry weather before we can get into it to plant it also. [:@] 

[dadof3upatree]

careful not to burn the cam Take your time or you'll be buying a new tiller.

[buckhunter21]

I wouldn't recommend rototilling it if it has sod on it already, unless you have a very heavy duty till that you pull behind a tractor or four-wheeler.  Just too hard.  I just tried rototilling some unseeded areas at my house last weekend to plant some new grass seed (bare ground) and right now with the very little rain the ground was like cement and did not work very well.  I took it over some grassy areas and the thing too me for a ride let me just tell you that!  This is a new tiller that you walk with. 

[Stickman]

ON a plot this size I would wait till middle of June and disc with a big tractor and plant with soybeans mixed with cowpeas. and leave all winter long. A deadly combination in my book.