DD into heavy soil with cracks the size of the Grand Canyon.

[cows r us]

Looking at our ground it has cracked out real bad( or self structured as I was told a couple of weeks back). I'm new to direct drilling and am wondering if I'm about to lose all my seed a metre down the cracks.

 

[Hammer]

My soils are in a similar condition. I will be waiting for moisture before I think about drilling...

 

[DrWazzock]

I'm not even convinced that huge blocks of solid dry clay with the occasional huge crack is adequately shattered for good root growth. The blocks themselves are like concrete here. The cracks an inch wide. When it rains the blocks will expand and the cracks will close pretty quickly. In an ideal world I would put a low disturbance tine through it to shatter the blocks while they are still dry but it will be high draft, diesel consumption and wear but I might try out my old Paraplow again as the yields following its use in the spring where much better than where it wasn't used simply due to rooting.

 

[newjames]

I'm not even convinced that huge blocks of solid dry clay with the occasional huge crack is adequately shattered for good root growth. The blocks themselves are like concrete here. The cracks an inch wide. When it rains the blocks will expand and the cracks will close pretty quickly. In an ideal world I would put a low disturbance tine through it to shatter the blocks while they are still dry but it will be high draft, diesel consumption and wear but I might try out my old Paraplow again as the yields following its use in the spring where much better than where it wasn't used simply due to rooting.

As will always says cultivation begets cultivation the only cracks that are any size are in the tramlines, new roots will go down the old roots paths if you dont destroy them by ripping them up, it requires nerve and patience but our ground has coped well with the dry well can stick and knife in easily years ago it would be like concrete by now and hard to get a plough in

 

[GeorgeK]

Direct drilling always surprises me by producing good results even when it looks a mess behind the drill. Trust the worms and roots!

 

[cows r us]

As will always says cultivation begets cultivation the only cracks that are any size are in the tramlines, new roots will go down the old roots paths if you dont destroy them by ripping them up, it requires nerve and patience but our ground has coped well with the dry well can stick and knife in easily years ago it would be like concrete by now and hard to get a plough in

Unfortunately being new to direct drilling our soils aren't at that stage yet. I'm just wondering if anyone had any problems when they started the process with cracked out ground, or do I just drill straight into it.

 

[Farmer Roy]

err, am I missing something ?
if its that dry & cracked, why are you planting anything ?

 

[GeorgeK]

When we first got our drill we rushed in and DD'd OSR into heavy land that was bone dry and it didn't work that well with uneven and poor germination. When conditions are right the drill should create a small amount of tilth in the slots and we didn't achieve that. The cracks are a good thing they will help structure the soil for us I'm not worried about them

 

[chickens and wheat]

Because if will become wet sometime soon, probably very wet. Plant some/leave some. Too early yet anyway

 

[cows r us]

err, am I missing something ?
if its that dry & cracked, why are you planting anything ?

I'm not yet. But what tends to happen after a dry spell like this is that it rains and doesn't stop for five months.

 

[britt]

The cracks will only be a smell % of the surface area. If you want to get on but are worried about loosing seed down them increase the seed rate accordingly.

 

[yellow belly]

I'm not yet. But what tends to happen after a dry spell like this is that it rains and doesn't stop for five months.

Not the case every time in 1995 we only had 22 mm in June to August
Autumn was no wetter than average

 

[cows r us]

Not the case every time in 1995 we only had 22 mm in June to August
Autumn was no wetter than average

Looks like that may well be the case this year.