All of my food plots are rough from very deep discing with a set of breaking discs last year. those that planted them never went back over them with anything else. I think it hurt the production out of them. This year, I aim to correct that problem. I may go pick up a cultipacker. Or is there anything better? I have another smaller set of discs that I can angle straight. or should I just go get a drag harrow at tractor supply? Obviously cultipacker is most expensive option. Thanks.

I think our drag is the ideal solution. Smooths the plot while lightly covering the seed. We just drag it around the property behind the tractor that also has the spreader attached. Spread fertilizer, seed, cover, and move on.

how are you getting a drag behind a spreader? and do you drag/smooth before you seed?

I've got a chain harrow drag that helps break up clods when drug with the tines facing forward. Turn the tines facing backwards for dragging large seed into the soil about 1.5-2" and flip it over (tines up) to drag small seed into the soil 1/2" or so. I got it at the co-op, but can be found at TSC, Harbor Frieght, ect.

*eta: a chain link gate, a cross tie, or even a twin bead box spring works well, too (with fabric torn off)

I use a drag behind my disk, mine is made from modular steel roadway mats and it probably weighs about 200 pounds. It does a great job of smoothing off behind the disk.

We usually re-disc the fields lightly right before spreading so that the soil is loose. This is after they have been fully cut a few weeks in advance.

Spreader is on a 3pt hitch and tractor has a pull bar with a trailer ball below the spreader. Loop the drag pull chain over the ball to move from plot to plot. Easy to drop it while we measure and spread seed/fertilizer. Then easy to hook up and pull the drag to smooth and cover.

I use a drag board kit from AMCO works great, disc once then grain drill seed

This part of planting has always been a conundrum for me.
My disc plow is to big and wide to try to use it to run over the plot after planting.
It buries the seed too deep no matter how careful I am.
So I have always over seeded a little bit, use coated seed, and when I am putting out
the fertilizer with four wheeler I am going round and round a lot mashing the seed in a throwing up a little dirt - and I have no problem
getting a good plot.

Obviously one of those round cylinder compacter things pulled behind a tractor would be ideal, but more time and effort.

a piece of heavy pipe thats as wide as the disc.

Love my cultipacker. Makes a food plot look like a putting green.

I mowed about 5-6 weeks ago, sprayed 3 weeks ago and plan to disk this weekend. Then right before a good chance of rain I will disk again lightly, spread larger seeds (wheat oats, peas) and cultipack, then spread clovers and turnips or beets and cultipack again.

Field will be as smooth as glass and I usually get great germination.

I just go back over it with no angle in the disk.

Our disks are all too heavy. Even with no angle they still cut too deep to cover seed.
I've got a few drags and a harrow. I can hook any of them to the spreader. Or use a separate tractor, either one.

Are you talking about working the ground before planting or covering seed after? Looks like there is some confusion .

Disk well, seed, then drag.

The rough uneven surface is what helps cover your seed when you level and smooth it back out with a drag.

I usually hit it with the drag in two directions and call it done due to my sandy soil but more isn't going to hurt if you want a perfect smooth field.

I've got a drag pipe behind the disc. Then I cultipack, seed then cultipack again.

My hunting buddy and I kind of take foodplotting to the extreme. We spray, then disk, then seed, then pack with cultipacker. For small seeds like Brassicas and clover we will seed it after packing then pack again. It takes extra time but you can drive a Cadillac through the fields at 60mph after. Also makes walking through fields in the dark much easier though that’s a rare occasion.

Here’s one I did last Monday.

This is what I use. I do have a cultipacker to that I will use sometimes that is a three point hitch type and has a drag behind it and it will slick off a food plot to

If you disk the field one or two times and go back after everything rots and settles then most of the time you can disk with a drag and slick it off before planting

I’ve done all of the things mentioned. Now, I Bushhog then spray 1-2 weeks after. Let it sit for 4-6 weeks. Throw out seed and fertilizer.THEN disk. Field are just as good as they ever were. Days on the tractor saved.

A tiller makes it very easy.