Frost Drilling

[Discordon Demon]

Anyone had a go?
Guess I’d leave pulses as will be fairly boggy when thaws but maybe some oats?
Not sure it’s been hard enough in Cambridgeshire yet?

 

[principal skinner]

Last time I did it I regretted it.

 

[Simon Chiles]

Last time I did it I regretted it.

So did I. Tried it 20 years ago and never been tempted to do it again since.

 

[Boysground]

Was pondering putting some beans in. On chalk so not waterlogged, ploughed lovely this week, needs some 0 24 24 which hopefully will happen tomorrow. Could easily get wet and not be able to touch it for a month.

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[WOODCHIP]

Tried it last year , never again waste of time

 

[Discordon Demon]

Why never again then?
Poor establishment?
Seed rot?

 

[DrWazzock]

Other than the exceptionally dry winter of 2018/19 anything drilled here between 4th October and 15th March has always been a complete waste of time regardless of technique and done more damage than good.
I can’t speak for other soil types but that’s how it is here.

 

[Wombat]

Even in 2019 when i did some late, it just turned to a snotty mess and a chunk died so i personally wouldn;t bother with the ground as wet as it is. Plus the snow has stopped the ground freezing hard so its a bit like pudding underneath

 

[jd6420s]

I had a go a few years ago in December. It went in really well but when it thawed
it just went to complete sludge and the seed rotted away in the soil. I have however drilled very successfully in late January/ early February. The conditions afterwards although cold were also dry which helped a lot. Depends what you think the weather is going to do over the next couple of weeks.

 

[WOODCHIP]

Went in lovely looked a picture , few days later frost thawed to a wet sticky seed bed followed by several days rain seed just rotted.

 

[Discordon Demon]

I’m thinking it’s going to be awful when it thaws! Was just an idea guess I’ll leave it!

 

[T Hectares]

I’ve always preferred drilling on a frost in Jan / Feb than mauling in with a tine drill / combi in Nov / Dec, yields in ‘13 backed this up by over 1 t/ha
Probably drilled 300 ha or more on frosts, maybe being over chalk is the key??

 

[Discordon Demon]

I am keen think I’ll try one field
Ploughed and cultipressed twice
Lays wet as
Don’t think I’ll drill for a month if I don’t
Straight in with the Sabre tine
See what happens
Prob be froze out when it’s hard enough to travel

 

[T Hectares]

I had a few times when it’s gone well as the frost is coming in at night, kept going twice all night until 10 next morning when the frost came out, around 3 - 5am is normally when the grounds at its hardest

The question is whether when the cold spell goes will the field be waterlogged ?? If it is the seed will rot, if not it seems to work here

 

[Wombat]

I had a few times when it’s gone well as the frost is coming in at night, kept going twice all night until 10 next morning when the frost came out, around 3 - 5am is normally when the grounds at its hardest

The question is whether when the cold spell goes will the field be waterlogged ?? If it is the seed will rot, if not it seems to work here

I think as you say it comes down to soil type and water table, we were putting in a new post Sunday and had water filling the hole 2 and a half foot down so i wouldn't even bother here most year.

 

[Boysground]

I have dust today,

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[whatnow]

I’ve always preferred drilling on a frost in Jan / Feb than mauling in with a tine drill / combi in Nov / Dec, yields in ‘13 backed this up by over 1 t/ha
Probably drilled 300 ha or more on frosts, maybe being over chalk is the key??

Do it reasonably regularly here, on the chalk. Maybe a year in three or four perhaps?
Considered it this week but if anything the frost is currently too hard here and couldn’t break the clods down enough

 

[T Hectares]

Do it reasonably regularly here, on the chalk. Maybe a year in three or four perhaps?
Considered it this week but if anything the frost is currently too hard here and couldn’t break the clods down enough

It’s well in the ground this week !!
Thankfully nothing left to drill this year, did 50ha of Beans last Jan, we are cultivating Couch for an Organic farm at the moment, was too hard first thing this morning but it’s 0 at the moment and it’s going again

 

[Brisel]

View attachment 940330
I have dust today,

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Wow. 300 miles north of you on heavy waterlogged Yorkshire clay, we've had a covering of snow for the last 2 weeks. -10oC last night too.

 

[Boysground]

I was surprised how well it was going, a few frozen lumps in one field the other was just powder. There is a footpath across some of it I hit that too fast with the press and broke a shear bolt. It was like concrete

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