Harrow the Heck Out of It!

Reader Contribution by Sherry Leverich Tucker
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It is springtime here and the fescue that dominates our pastures is starting to take off. It won’t grow, though, if old hay and piles of manure smother it. This is a problem specifically in areas where there are no hay rings.  During bad winter weather hay may be rolled out for feeding and bedding in pasture areas. I have had the opportunity to use a harrow borrowed from a friend to help me combat this issue. A harrow is like an iron chain mail that grabs and drags. This one is a little wider than the tractor and about 5 feet long. It is simply pulled behind the tractor by a hook connected to a chain. It can either be hooked to a center mounted hitch (where a trailer hitch would be bolted) or you could use a draw bar connected between the side hydraulic posts of the tractor. No serious technology here, simply drag it over clumps of hay and manure to break up and spread. Larger piles of hay that do not distribute as well can be burned off.

This easily and quickly used implement was very handy.  It can also be used for aerating thatchy sod, or preparing a grass pasture for receiving a complementary crop such as clover.  Borrowing this harrow was a great thing, as I would not want to buy one.  Having friends and neighbors that you can trade and borrow implements with can be very helpful!

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