In the northeast when do folks typically plow under a hay field so the sod will be broken down enough to plant corn into?
Billy

Fall plowing is best for this. I like to do it after the first frost. If you plow too early, the grass starts coming through in the spring before you can get it harrowed.

Fall plowing has the advantage of making the soil very friable due to the freezing and thawing over winter.

There is a little bit of erosion that can occur from the wind on the bare dirt. I also like to keep a good sod strip around the field to protect water quality of neighboring streams from runoff of rain or melting snow.

I plow in the fall if possible as it takes less moisture out of the soil than spring plowing. That said if I can winter the cows on the plot I intend to plow I leave it until spring. Nothing like feeding out 70 head of cows on 20 acres from November until April and plowing it under to make an oat crop.

We always fall plow sod, but it's clay country up here. On sandier ground I hear spring plowing can work.

We have had good luck subsoiling, then rototilling. Wait 30 days for weeds to germinate, harrow/cultivate/light disc and immediately plant...

Thanks for the info guys. I plowed under a really old pasture this spring and I am still fighting the sod during cultivation. I think next year it will make a nice workable field, this year it is a pain in the rear. I will plow next years field under before the ground freezes up this fall.
Thanks again
Billy

One thing I've found is that different ground breaks up differently and you have to allow for that. I have some areas that tend to be cold, damp and sour. You cannot deep plow land like that and expect the sod to break down. It just won't. You have to lime and manure the land heavily and then shallow plow it and continue the manure for years. Even then that land seldom produces like higher, lighter ground. Everyone seems to think you can plow any plot to max depth and it always works. Not so. Some ground you're better off harrowing to death and manuring than plowing. I learned that the hard, expensive way.

Bill you make a good point. I have only had this place for about 6 years so I am still learning the soils around here-we are mostly sand loam and pretty acid. I have actually started plowing shallower for a couple reasons, keeping the manure and lime towards the surface, not under a deep furrow, is a big one.