Derelict field restoration

Needtolearnalot · Jun 8, 2022

We have about 4 acres which we started the process of restoring last autumn .... things have not gone as planned - Help!

The history .... about 3-4 years ago someone else managed the land and reared pheasants on it. The huts were removed and the ground left.
The area covered by the huts and pheasant runs grew weeds - mostly nettle and dock. The remaining area had weedy grass with buttercup and creeping thistle.
Soil tests showed a Ph = 6 , Pand K indexes 1 and Mg 3

The field was ploughed last autumn and left over winter (it wasn't sprayed at all)
Earlier this year (late April) glyphosate was sprayed over nettle and dock areas.
It has been disced and power-harrowed ... but for a number of reasons it was left for 2-3 weeks during which we have had a mssive growth of grass, nettle, buttercup etc.

We have stubble/maincrop turnip mix we were intending to sow for autumn/winter sheep forage and follow on with sowing a grass/clover ley in spring 2023.

What is the best action now?

Anymulewilldo · Jun 8, 2022

Burn it off again. You’ve got until the end of this month too get the seed in. Better 3 weeks late than swamped by weed and smothered.

cowboysupper · Jun 8, 2022

Needtolearnalot said:
We have about 4 acres which we started the process of restoring last autumn .... things have not gone as planned - Help!

The history .... about 3-4 years ago someone else managed the land and reared pheasants on it. The huts were removed and the ground left.
The area covered by the huts and pheasant runs grew weeds - mostly nettle and dock. The remaining area had weedy grass with buttercup and creeping thistle.
Soil tests showed a Ph = 6 , Pand K indexes 1 and Mg 3

The field was ploughed last autumn and left over winter (it wasn't sprayed at all)
Earlier this year (late April) glyphosate was sprayed over nettle and dock areas.
It has been disced and power-harrowed ... but for a number of reasons it was left for 2-3 weeks during which we have had a mssive growth of grass, nettle, buttercup etc.

We have stubble/maincrop turnip mix we were intending to sow for autumn/winter sheep forage and follow on with sowing a grass/clover ley in spring 2023.

What is the best action now?

Put plenty of muck on to get your P&K indicies up. It'll make a big difference to future productivity.

Derrick Hughes · Jun 8, 2022

Anymulewilldo said:
Burn it off again. You’ve got until the end of this month too get the seed in. Better 3 weeks late than swamped by weed and smothered.

Why end of this month ,it's only June ?

Needtolearnalot · Jun 8, 2022

The mix is vollenda and green globe. I was told that th green globe needs to be in by then to mature before the winter.

Anymulewilldo · Jun 8, 2022

Derrick Hughes said:
Why end of this month ,it's only June ?

OP said maincrop turnip as well as stubble…

Derrick Hughes · Jun 8, 2022

I would go with Maincrop until 2cd week of July myself

Anymulewilldo · Jun 8, 2022

Derrick Hughes said:
I would go with Maincrop until 2cd week of July myself

That is what I’d always thought. But the other day I was being told emphatically that they should be in by end of June by a man who has grown them for years for his sheep.

Anymulewilldo · Jun 8, 2022

In that case there is Time for 2 more lots of stale seedbeds?? Rock on!

Courier · Jun 8, 2022

My personal feeling is that you would be better forgetting about cropping this season and aim on a summer fallow, deep cultivating every fortnight for the next 12 weeks or so and then ploughing before getting it frosted to create a spring tilth next year when you will be able to assess whether or not a full rate glyphosate is still needed (shouldn’t be).

goodevans · Jun 8, 2022

We put greenglobe in our mix after w barley,last week of July to early August and seem to do alright,far better than stubble turnips in my opinion as they stay rooted as opposed to been kicked around

Bald n Grumpy · Jun 8, 2022

Courier said:
My personal feeling is that you would be better forgetting about cropping this season and aim on a summer fallow, deep cultivating every fortnight for the next 12 weeks or so and then ploughing before getting it frosted to create a spring tilth next year when you will be able to assess whether or not a full rate glyphosate is still needed (shouldn’t be).

Not going to provide much sheep keep that way though and deep cultivation another 6 times with the price of diesel?
I'd do as others have said and burn off and get it planted now and see whether it's ready for a new ley next spring or another short term crop.

Derrick Hughes · Jun 8, 2022

Anymulewilldo said:
That is what I’d always thought. But the other day I was being told emphatically that they should be in by end of June by a man who has grown them for years for his sheep.

I put mine in first of August last year and had hell of a crop , grew all winter , if Volenda go in this early they will be like wood by eating time , poor Bedfellow IMO
It's long keep as and short keep in same bed
Better to leave it till next month if winter keep imo

Needtolearnalot · Jun 8, 2022

Derrick Hughes said:
I put mine in first of August last year and had hell of a crop , grew all winter , if Volenda go in this early they will be like wood by eating time , poor Bedfellow IMO
It's long keep as and short keep in same bed
Better to leave it till next month if winter keep imo

That's very encouraging ......Thank you
Panic oer for now!

Courier · Jun 8, 2022

Bald n Grumpy said:
Not going to provide much sheep keep that way though and deep cultivation another 6 times with the price of diesel?
I'd do as others have said and burn off and get it planted now and see whether it's ready for a new ley next spring or another short term crop.

It’s 4 acres not 400 - Already had one lost season so better to do the job properly with chance to drag up the dried nettle, buttercup and bramble roots into a fire and get rid once and for all.
Yes it’ll use a bit of diesel and not produce a useful crop for yet another year but, hey ho, it’s not going to make or break you either way so crack on with whatever you decide..

Derrick Hughes · Jun 8, 2022

Needtolearnalot said:
That's very encouraging ......Thank you
Panic oer for now!

Sorry if it sounded like Criticism, just trying to be helpful , stubble Turnips are called 12 week Turnips for a reason but I found Green Globe grew just as quick, just grew for longer

neilo · Jun 8, 2022

Needtolearnalot said:
We have about 4 acres which we started the process of restoring last autumn .... things have not gone as planned - Help!

The history .... about 3-4 years ago someone else managed the land and reared pheasants on it. The huts were removed and the ground left.
The area covered by the huts and pheasant runs grew weeds - mostly nettle and dock. The remaining area had weedy grass with buttercup and creeping thistle.
Soil tests showed a Ph = 6 , Pand K indexes 1 and Mg 3

The field was ploughed last autumn and left over winter (it wasn't sprayed at all)
Earlier this year (late April) glyphosate was sprayed over nettle and dock areas.
It has been disced and power-harrowed ... but for a number of reasons it was left for 2-3 weeks during which we have had a mssive growth of grass, nettle, buttercup etc.

We have stubble/maincrop turnip mix we were intending to sow for autumn/winter sheep forage and follow on with sowing a grass/clover ley in spring 2023.

What is the best action now?

What rate of glyphosate was used, and what was the water source (mains or rainwater)?
You need full rate (5-6 L/ha iirc) to kill buttercups and couch, which means with conditioned/soft water too (hard water will lock a good proportion up).
Even at that rate, nettles will survive and come back ime.

Are the current weeds from regrowth, or new seedlings? If the latter, cultivate lightly again (glyphosate too expensive now), before sowing.

I don’t plant maincrop turnips until July either.

Bald n Grumpy · Jun 8, 2022

Courier said:
It’s 4 acres not 400 - Already had one lost season so better to do the job properly with chance to drag up the dried nettle, buttercup and bramble roots into a fire and get rid once and for all.
Yes it’ll use a bit of diesel and not produce a useful crop for yet another year but, hey ho, it’s not going to make or break you either way so crack on with whatever you decide..

4 acres is to much for some of us to right of for a year

Derrick Hughes · Jun 8, 2022

What sort of Harrow do you have

Kevtherev · Jun 8, 2022

Derrick Hughes said:
What sort of Barrow do you have

One like this?

Derelict field restoration

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Up to 25%

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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