Grassland pan 4 inches down

[DrDunc]

I've a field that was direct grass reseeded last May. I subsoiled it before ploughing as I'd outwintered cattle and it was a poached rutted horrible mess.

When I worked and sowed the field, the soil was really too wet, but last summer.........

Anyway, digging holes today, it's panned about 4 inches down, which explains why an otherwise dry field isn't, and the grass didn't really do last summer.

What do I do? Do I wait until it's dry and put my flatlift through at 6 inches? Will it work that shallow? Do I hire a slitter now when it's wet? Will a slitter work that deep?

 

[Great In Grass]

PM sent.

 

[Cowabunga]

I've been slitting over the weekend and today. It works to six inches maximum with a load of solid concrete blocks on top to weigh it down.
Also had a very wet field last summer that is drained but was re-seeded ten years or so ago. Flatlifted that about 10 days ago but in some places was too wet to pull still. It wrecks the field at this time of year and I intend to plough it within a week to re-seed. It's not just the result of the flat lift being pulled and heaving the ground, but the severe poaching from last year.

I suspect that flatlifting at 6" would result in significant heaving and would need to be rolled within a couple of days to prevent the grass being killed off by drying. The other thing is that it might not be quite deep enough to bust the pan completely across from one leg to another.

 

[DrDunc]

For info:

With the ground remarkably dry, I decided to try subsoiling at about 9 inches, followed by a heavy roll. Put simply, the result is amazing. Had a prod with the mole poison probe today, and it sinks in easy to the rock under the soil

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Great In Grass]

Looking good Doc.

 

[spanners]

what type of subsoiler? left a very clean finish

 

[DrDunc]

what type of subsoiler? left a very clean finish

Spaldings flatlift with leading discs on each leg.

The finish looked bloody awful after the flatlift. It had heaved about 6 inches at each leg! I thought I'd wrecked the field.

However, I hope the picture shows how level it is after the heavy roll. I'm very impressed and pleased with the result.

 

[Shutesy]

Is that not flatlifted ground on the left of the pic, doesnt look too bad and after the heavy roll looks like its worked a treat!!

 

[DrDunc]

Aye, flatlifted on the left, and looking the other way;

It was the first time I'd used it in grassland. It took a bit of faith in the roller to keep going!

Bought it at a farm sale (roup) 18 months ago, before last summer's wet. Very pleased

 

[Paul_P]

That's what I do on the horse paddocks. I've a single leg subsoiler with a turf slitting wheel on it. So the only bits of mess tend to be mainly at the end of a run pulling it out.

I often wonder if I should go in different directions each year - go on a diagonal across the field maybe?

 

[DrDunc]

Ah now, I found a way to minimise the mess at the end when you lift out: Reverse about 6 inches to a foot before you lift. The leg and wings then don't tear flaps of turf.

 

[Paul_P]

Anyway, digging holes today, it's panned about 4 inches down, .

?

I wonder if someone could explain to me how to do this? When I tried to dig holes in the horse paddocks all I managed to discover was soil, I'm not trying to sound thick (honest!) but I'm not certain how to determine if I have a pan or not Ta.

 

[Great In Grass]

I wonder if someone could explain to me how to do this? When I tried to dig holes in the horse paddocks all I managed to discover was soil, I'm not trying to sound thick (honest!) but I'm not certain how to determine if I have a pan or not Ta.

Search for a thread called 'farming links', I posted a video you may find helpful.

 

[tractorbob]

Did you use an Opico sward lifter there??

 

[mushnt grummmble]

Aye, flatlifted on the left, and looking the other way;
View attachment 2208
It was the first time I'd used it in grassland. It took a bit of faith in the roller to keep going!

Bought it at a farm sale (roup) 18 months ago, before last summer's wet. Very pleased

call in the mole man

 

[aidan]

I've been slitting over the weekend and today. It works to six inches maximum with a load of solid concrete blocks on top to weigh it down.
Also had a very wet field last summer that is drained but was re-seeded ten years or so ago. Flatlifted that about 10 days ago but in some places was too wet to pull still. It wrecks the field at this time of year and I intend to plough it within a week to re-seed. It's not just the result of the flat lift being pulled and heaving the ground, but the severe poaching from last year.

I suspect that flatlifting at 6" would result in significant heaving and would need to be rolled within a couple of days to prevent the grass being killed off by drying. The other thing is that it might not be quite deep enough to bust the pan completely across from one leg to another.

did you bring up many stones, I know if you tried that in Ireland you would bring up stones

 

[DrDunc]

Don't know about the Ducks soil, but on my ground where the rocks breed like rabbits......

Well let's say I rolled using the loader tractor with the bucket on.

 

[Cowabunga]

The deeper you go the less stones come up. But yes, I had a few the other day and lifted one or two and ploughed the rest in.

 

[DrDunc]

Here's the results of subsoiling

The end rig ought to have been oversown. It got pretty chewed up hauling the bales out last summer.

However the grass growth is tremendous. This field is at 1100 feet in the Pentland hills. I'm not sure it's clear in the picture, but you can see darker lines in the grass above the subsoiler legs. I presume in these areas of the field the pan wasn't busted right across.

I had pretty much written this field off as a reseed. I'm very impressed with the results.

 

[General-Lee]

Here's the results of subsoiling
View attachment 5612

The end rig ought to have been oversown. It got pretty chewed up hauling the bales out last summer.

However the grass growth is tremendous. This field is at 1100 feet in the Pentland hills. I'm not sure it's clear in the picture, but you can see darker lines in the grass above the subsoiler legs. I presume in these areas of the field the pan wasn't busted right across.
View attachment 5613

I had pretty much written this field off as a reseed. I'm very impressed with the results.

Looking good!!
What time of year did you do that what was the weather like? I'd like to do some fields but worried I ought to wait until the autumn, incase we a have drought or something stupid and the grass dries up and dies!