I think the prolific use of cover crops have really helped us while soil structure has improved, root have done a lot of fixing of issues we may have created
Compaction can sort itself !
- Thread starter Clive
- Start date
I think the prolific use of cover crops have really helped us while soil structure has improved, root have done a lot of fixing of issues we may have created
Hmmm
Wondering if I should wade in here boots n all ?
that's what discussion forums exist for !
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
Also interested, although obviously I don't have access to kelp . . .
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Recent rain have caused a lot of OSR volunteers to appear. They will definitely help condition the good areas, but I don't think they'll sort the bad areas out in time.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Completely agree, it won't happen in a week, how far down did you notice the compaction, was it at the surface or down rather deep as well?
im interested in the humic / fulvic and if that can be made ? both are great products IME but expensive to buy - a cheap supply or home brew if possible would be very beneficial
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Tight at least 6 inches down. Went further down than I was expecting. If it was only a few inches could happily put a set of discs over it.
I think it is just a phase you have to get through until the ground settles naturally, last year we used a low distrubance subsoiler where we had tipped muck, more as an experiment that any need, in one field where there is wheat it is rubbish, thin , and really suffered in the dry weather the bit which is in SB looks fine and cant see the difference from the surrounding crop, not sure what that proves . WE also did part of one field that lies wet and were concerned about poor spread of chaff so thought it wouldlet a bit of air into the soil and let water down below the roots, didnt make the slightest difference to bit we didnt do, we have heavy ground but good OM levels which might help
IMVHO that would just make it slump again,
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
I am really small scale, and live in a country with not many radar towers
Kelp is great stuff as it is algae- and breaks down in water.
A silage chopper, and mulch up a big windrow of kelp would be my choice if I had one- then soak it til it's a big soup, draw it off the top!
I only make a few hundred litres at a time, as 5-10 per hectare is plenty.
As for adding humates, the bare bones kiwi approach of my choice is to make all the charcoal I can, in a retort style setup out of an oil drum.
Mix that in with your FYM pile and 'Robert's your muvva's bruvva' as it gets a good chance to colonise with microbes and absorb some nutrients out of the muck.
5kg of charcoal has a surface area of nearly a square mile!
That's my buzz anyway
Kelp is great stuff as it is algae- and breaks down in water.
A silage chopper, and mulch up a big windrow of kelp would be my choice if I had one- then soak it til it's a big soup, draw it off the top!
I only make a few hundred litres at a time, as 5-10 per hectare is plenty.
As for adding humates, the bare bones kiwi approach of my choice is to make all the charcoal I can, in a retort style setup out of an oil drum.
Mix that in with your FYM pile and 'Robert's your muvva's bruvva' as it gets a good chance to colonise with microbes and absorb some nutrients out of the muck.
5kg of charcoal has a surface area of nearly a square mile!
That's my buzz anyway
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
How adjustable is a Terrastar?
Can you reduce the "cut" so it will go deeper or are the stars quite curved.
I have a spiked aerator that is sort of similar- but will head down to 7 inches or so and gives it a slight shatter
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
I reckon this would rearrange your tramlines. The only piece of new kit I've ever bought.
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Anyone using daikon radish as a natural subsoiler?
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Do frosts kill those?
Have definitely considered something to smother the grass/leave a root channel/then bugger off with a good frost or two and no herbicide!
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Fairly hardy and they can be grazed by sheep
Roots go down 25-50cm
Slight N fixer
Roots go down 25-50cm
Slight N fixer
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Mustard and daikon radish or oil radish are excellent soil improvers
Would the kelp added to fym and composted for 6 months then spread work? Usually a storm or 2 per winter which put up a heap of kelp which would be better tidied up!I am really small scale, and live in a country with not many radar towers
Kelp is great stuff as it is algae- and breaks down in water.
A silage chopper, and mulch up a big windrow of kelp would be my choice if I had one- then soak it til it's a big soup, draw it off the top!
I only make a few hundred litres at a time, as 5-10 per hectare is plenty.
As for adding humates, the bare bones kiwi approach of my choice is to make all the charcoal I can, in a retort style setup out of an oil drum.
Mix that in with your FYM pile and 'Robert's your muvva's bruvva' as it gets a good chance to colonise with microbes and absorb some nutrients out of the muck.
5kg of charcoal has a surface area of nearly a square mile!
That's my buzz anyway
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Definitely
I only went with the liquid as I have a few years to go before getting a muckspreader, whereas a boomjet is just too cheap and simple for now.
About the only thing kelp is not high in, is nitrogen. Heaps of calcium and most other macro and micronutrients, gibberellins..
If you can get it, don't turn it down, much like anything else free it's worth your time IMO
Years ago it was routinely harvested and spread, they weren't daft.Definitely
I only went with the liquid as I have a few years to go before getting a muckspreader, whereas a boomjet is just too cheap and simple for now.
About the only thing kelp is not high in, is nitrogen. Heaps of calcium and most other macro and micronutrients, gibberellins..
If you can get it, don't turn it down, much like anything else free it's worth your time IMO