Erth question

[Derrick Hughes]

And i didnt say i didnt have moles .if i hadnt employed a mole catcher i would have hundreds

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Leave it until the new year as im away

Cracking come back Derek!

On the mole thing, you did say you didn't have any. You must have had some. Molecatchers won't come just in case you think you might get some at any point in the future!

Anyway, lets not go off course with nonsense again. Explain yourself first time around and we might all think a bit less "what the bloody hell is he on about!?"

I've got a customer with a Sumo machine. He reckons it works well in the frost, but not too cold. Makes the soil flexible - plastic he terms it. I think he said a couple of days at -5 degrees and it works a treat. Bit specific I know!

 

[Boohoo]

Got the 4 leg model with hyd. toplink

I used to use a 4 leg and it lifted slabs at times. Longer toplink and drive slower is all you can do. New machines can be ordered with 5 legs as far as I know so you can quickly change from using 4 to 3 legs if you're lifting slabs

 

[Clever Dic]

My erth does the same in the autumn only things that work are go deeper , go slower or wait for more moisture.

 

[Kevtherev]

No i dont ageee .

So the area you feed sheep or cattle on doesn't get compacted?
Vehicles and wheels cause compaction I'm afraid.
@neilo

 

[bobk]

Must be dry in La Marche @le bon paysan , you wouldn't get through the gate here .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

So the area you feed sheep or cattle on doesn't get compacted?
Vehicles and wheels cause compaction I'm afraid.
@neilo

I never fed cattle outdoors and if i did on our type of ground the plough would sort it due to the large amount of small stone in the ground or are you saying a shingle beach will compact

 

[Cab-over Pete]

The plough might well sort it.... if you wanted to plough and then, by necessity, reseed.

Obviously the OP only wanted to alleviate compaction in an otherwise healthy sward.

The plough wouldn't be a lot of chuffin' use there, would it?

 

[Old McDonald]

No i dont ageee .

I agree with Kevtherev that all land becomes compacted (even shingle because I have some) but all land does not form a pan below ground. A lot does, but some compacts from the top down. Again, I have some. I also had land here that did have a pan when I bought the place.

 

[Kevtherev]

Best drive a digger Derek then you'll see the profile of the land.
Or stand back at a freshly ploughed maize field and look at the colour change and pattern of soil all the wheelmarks will show up.
Compaction happens FACT I'm afraid

 

[its yourself]

It's also possible for a glacial soil to have a compacted layer that can be removed too. Provided it's not too deep.

 

[Kevtherev]

Why do we run on large low profile tyres and duals then?????
:bangfwckinghead: repeatedly against gatepost

 

[Cab-over Pete]

The best machine I ever saw to alleviate compaction was the Aerway machine.

Set quite aggressively it absolutely transformed the grass sward on a field used for several years to hold The Kenilworth Show.

It had been compacted by many lorries and a couple of wet Show days. I hired an Aerway and it did a fantastic job. The manager said a year after it was done that the field hadn't grown grass like it for years.

No good for true subsoiling obviously, but it went surprisingly deep.

 

[Kevtherev]

Compaction is a myth pete

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Best drive a digger Derek then you'll see the profile of the land.
Or stand back at a freshly ploughed maize field and look at the colour change and pattern of soil all the wheelmarks will show up.
Compaction happens FACT I'm afraid

I spent half my life on diggers .will you agree that some ground compacts a lot more that other and some land compacts very litle

 

[Kevtherev]

Clay ground compacts more than gravel yes

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Clay ground compacts more than gravel yes

at last , political middle ground.

 

[Old McDonald]

at last , political middle ground.

At #18 you disagreed that all land compacts. At #35 you agree that all land does compact, albeit some more than others. I like someone who is prepared to admit his errors.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

At #18 you disagreed that all land compacts. At #35 you agree that all land does compact, albeit some more than others. I like someone who is prepared to admit his errors.

We farmered here successfully for over 50 years and my father for 80 years .compaction was never noticed or ever became a concern although we did farm to avoid it .but am grateful that you have noted that we could have been more succefull if we had been aware of the compaction that we were not aware we had
Dad put his succes down to not harvesting crops on a Sunday as the lord said he would send the compactor to punish those who did

 

[Kevtherev]

Someone have a word