I drove by some wheat stubble land today that was being ploughed and it was turning over very stiff . Got me thinking which implements those of you farming heavy land use in the spring to create a seedbed from freshly ploughed land. Or do you wait till your land dries out and then cultivate it rather than plough.Perhaps direct drilling really comes in to its own?
Creating spring seed bed on freshly ploughed heavy land.
- Thread starter Pilatus
- Start date
spikeislander
Member
- Location
- bedfordshire
Most on heavy land would have cultivated in the autumn and let the frosts break it down. We plough and then press ahead of peas and s barley. But also this year where we didn't want to invert it we ran the discordon and it seems to have come out of winter well
- Location
- East yorks
To turn stuff ploughed into a seedbed at this time of year would take 2 maybe 3 PH passes and then it would be knotty. Either plough in Autumn and let the frosts do it or disc it up and let it weather. The one light land field I have been through with the discs 2 weeks ago and will get drilled next week
- Location
- West Suffolk
Well diesel is a lot cheaper now
- Location
- East yorks
Well diesel is a lot cheaper now
Yeah but I think PH is a soul destroying job that's why I like to let the weather do it while I do other things
- Location
- West Suffolk
Yeah but I think PH is a soul destroying job that's why I like to let the weather do it while I do other things
Yes been there done that, never again if I can help it!
It does make me wonder what people are thinking when doing it. But maybe with over wintered stubble and greening there has to be more of it again?
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Would never try to plough properly heavy land now -- it's too late. Needs to be ploughed up in the autumn, ideally pressed, and then hope for some good frosts. Our ploughed and pressed ground has got some nice frost mould on at the moment and should come down well with a fast maschio pass.
Land that is ploughed near here around now is after AD maize and the amount of battering it gets with power-harrows when it's dry and knobly when things dry out is ridiculous.
The best cultivator for heavy land is time and weather. These two pictures show weathering versus no weathering on the same soil type:
Land that is ploughed near here around now is after AD maize and the amount of battering it gets with power-harrows when it's dry and knobly when things dry out is ridiculous.
The best cultivator for heavy land is time and weather. These two pictures show weathering versus no weathering on the same soil type:
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Power harrows with a drill unit on them look to be a good job, esecially in the first picture situation,as one is doing two jobs at once at same cost.
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
I see , thank you.
- Location
- Bedfordshire
We don't plough in the spring !!! Cultivate with pigtails or heavier duty cultivator @3-4", then wait for it to properly dry then spring tines or if very lucky power harrow then drill. (I think we use power harrow maybe 1 in 3 springs but only on small areas) I have also Direct Drilled Spring Beans yesterday and will be trying some linseed in April if the Weaving drill turns up on demo as promised!
Similar here, we dont plough heavy land in spring. DD spring oats and beans, spring barley after beet has already been ploughed behind the harvester, or will be shakerated once its dried up to remove the wheelings, levelled with a simba TL and drilled with combi, may as well make use of the surface tilth rather than bury it. Heavier beet land ploughed last October, lighter stuff to muck and plough with press and furrow splitters this week, then 4m ph with tined front press, 800 tyres on a light tractor, twice quickly rather than once slowly seems to work well.
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Drilling yesterday -- cripes, has the land dried out that much?
You plough it in September then through with subsoiler with a d d type packer to semi work it That's for sugar beet. Vining peas. And Spring barley on heavy Carr land Usually comes down like an ash hill. But patience is a must till it's dry enough to carry for a pass with machine in 3 red pic
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- Location
- Bedfordshire
I only managed to drill this and do some spring tining on some good frosts, but if these winds keep up i should be able to roll it end of next week.
and it's only a small field away from farm(odd one out due to silly 3 crop rule), the rest of the spring land needs a few more weeks drying!!
Plenty of moisture about on Stubble, min till or plough, and any cover crop land about is really wet!.
T,hank you for your replies. I have to say ,that the land that was being ploughed is on the Cotswolds, BUT make no mistake there are some seams of heavy land at 700ft plus and this was one of them. The land is part of a very well known shoot and so I think they leave the land in stubble for the shoot ,need I say more!!!
Out of interest to those farming real heavy Suffolk/Essex clay,have you always ploughed your land in in the Autumn to allow it to overwinter, BECAUSE you rightly thought that the "over wintered stubble" payment/scheme did not compensate for the loss in yield and extra expense you would have if you ploughed your land in the spring i.e February.
Out of interest to those farming real heavy Suffolk/Essex clay,have you always ploughed your land in in the Autumn to allow it to overwinter, BECAUSE you rightly thought that the "over wintered stubble" payment/scheme did not compensate for the loss in yield and extra expense you would have if you ploughed your land in the spring i.e February.
- Location
- hereford
Just ploughed some stiff ground after stubble turnips - a lot left after the sheep because of all the rain. will powerharrow Monday leave a day if no rain, run the rolls over to firm up and ph and plant with the sabre drill ( only18 acres ) After the sheep its gone quite firm and full of small holes full of water - ploughed it on a frosty morning.Hope to bang in some more Mascani oats or failing that spring barley to feed cattle I may buy later.
spikeislander
Member
- Location
- bedfordshire
Mmm your stiff land is different to some I think. If we ploughed now you wouldn't go near it for a month let alone drill it!
spikeislander
Member
- Location
- bedfordshire
And the only rolling it would see would be the neighbours on the floor laughing at me!