glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Sounds like weald clay which is pretty horrible stuff
Frank the wool knows that land
Frank the wool knows that land
@Highland Mule I have been planning on ditching the top border but if I'm not having the horses in it in the winter now, am wondering is it worth spending the money (8k and that's mates rates from family, I was quoted 20k by someone else).
I harrowed and rolled late March and harrowed and reseeded mid-April. Was that all too early? It did get cold again but the fact that we've had almost zero rain is probably the biggest factor. However my neighbours fields look amazing while mine are horrible. Photos tomorrow!
Not just for the ditch, you're right, plus it's more of an estimate than a quote, it's 2 guys for 2 weeks plus hire of the equipment plus materials.8k would amount to 200 hours with a 13 tonner at a higher rate than you would ever get from a farmer in galloway. There has to be a lot more to this than simply excavating a ditch around three sides of 5 acre plot which really should not take long at all. An interceptor ditch should be a couple days at most - so what was the 8k quote actually for?
two weeks with a 13t machine should do that no bother and up here would be a lot less than half the price you have quoted (with an extra man). I am guessing there is a tractor and dump trailer in the equation as well?Not just for the ditch, you're right, plus it's more of an estimate than a quote, it's 2 guys for 2 weeks plus hire of the equipment plus materials.
They'd be creating the ditch plus a land drain through the middle of the field down to the ditch at the bottom. My field slopes both sideways and also undulates along the length, and it's oblong shaped, I'm attaching a picture here. The red lines show the ditches to be dug, the blue are my other boundaries and the green line is the land drain/trench to take the water from the lowest point at the top of the field to the ditch at the very bottom (already there).
They'll also be creating a french drain in front of the stable area, digging out the pond, moving and flattening down all the earth they've moved.
Are you on the weald clay?Thank you all so much for your help and advice, I really appreciate it all. I've spoken to the man that Bignor Farmer put me in touch with and he's going to come out and see it this week, so hopefully together we can come up with a plan to get the land working well for me.
What a lovely forum, so many helpful people.
I don't think so, but not completely sure. At the risk of sounding like a total idiot, how would I know?Are you on the weald clay?
Ask a local farmer!!I don't think so, but not completely sure. At the risk of sounding like a total idiot, how would I know?